Ground Squirrel
by Marty Fancy
Title
Ground Squirrel
Artist
Marty Fancy
Medium
Photograph
Description
A Richardson's ground squirrel in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii), or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus. This squirrel was named after the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson. North Dakota is nicknamed the Flickertail state after the squirrel.
Native to the short grass prairies, Richardson's ground squirrel is found mainly in the northern states of the United States, such as North Dakota and Montana, and in southern Canada, such as southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan. The range of this animal expanded as forests were cleared to create farm land. They are not simply restricted to prairie; sometimes adapting to suburban environments, causing them to be seen as pests because of the burrows they dig. It is not unusual to find squirrels digging tunnels under the sidewalks and patios of urban homes.
Typical adults are about 12 inches long. Males are slightly larger and heavier than females on average. They are dark brown on the upper side and tan underneath. The tail is shorter and less bushy than in other ground squirrels, and the external ears are so short as to look more like holes in the animal's head. Behavior is more like that of a prairie dog than a typical ground squirrel. The tail is constantly trembling, so the animal is sometimes called the "flickertail".
Uploaded
July 19th, 2014
Statistics
Viewed 94 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/23/2024 at 4:14 PM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Tags
Comments
There are no comments for Ground Squirrel. Click here to post the first comment.