Species: Spermophilus saturatus
Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Species
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Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Mammalia
Order
Rodentia
Family
Sciuridae
Genus
Spermophilus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Cascade Ground Squirrel - spermophile des Cascades - spermophile à mante dorée des Cascades
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Rodents
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae - Spermophilus - (Leung and Cheng 1994).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
true - false - false
Non-migrant
true
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Eats fungi (especially in fall), green vegetation, seeds, small fruits, carrion. In one study (Trombulak 1987), diet primarily VICIA leaves and fungi. Generally forages on ground, may climb into bushes and conifers.
Reproduction Comments
Copulation occurs in late April-early May. Gestation lasts 28 days. Litter size is 1-5 (average 4); one litter/year (Trombulak 1988). Females may breed as yearlings, males usually not until second year. Juveniles emerge from natal burrows in July-early August (Trombulak 1987).
Ecology Comments
May live in colonies, but population densities typically are low (3/ha in forest, 5-12/ha in adjacent meadow in Washington). Populations may be highest in parks where human refuse is available as food. Relatively mobile; large % of residents may be immigrants (Trombulak 1987). Sedentary in British Columbia. EUTAMIAS AMOENUS occurs sympatrically.
Weight
300
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1998-11-06
Global Status Last Changed
1998-11-06
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
<img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.BC=S4&US.WA=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
Global Range
Cascade Mountains from southern British Columbia (west to the Fraser River, north to the Nicola River, east to the Okkanagan River) south to Columbia River in Washington (Trombulak 1988; Leung and Cheng, 1992 COSEWIC report).