Uinta ground squirrel

Uinta ground squirrel ( Spermophilus armatus )

The or the Uinta ground squirrel ( Spermophilus armatus, English: Uinta ground squirrel ), is a beheimatetes North American ground squirrels of the genus Spermophilus.

Features

The Uinta ground squirrel is at full-grown about 30 cm long and 200 to 300 g. Typical are the grayish back and torso with fine white spots on the back; Nose and shoulders are brownish to cinnamon brown. The tail has a grayish underside.

Habitat

It is in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana, and partly also to find Utah in troubled or difficult grazed grasslands in sagebrush and mountain meadows up to 3,300 m altitude.

Way of life

The Uinta ground squirrel is diurnal, usually lives in large colonies in burrows and hibernate. It feeds on grass, herbaceous plants, fungi, insects and carrion ( including animals of its own kind ).

Enemies

Among the natural enemies include coyotes, badgers silver, long swan Zwiesel, bobcats, various birds of prey and the Prairie Rattlesnake.