Callospermophilus lateralis (Say, 1823)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818980 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF92-ED50-FAF6-F96BFB8FF1FB |
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Diego |
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scientific name |
Callospermophilus lateralis |
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211. View On
Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis View in CoL
French: Spermophile a mante dorée / German: Goldmantelziesel / Spanish: Ardilla terrestre de manto dorado
Other common names: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, Green River Basin Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Taxonomy. Sciurus lateralis Say, 1823 ,
“near Canon City.”
Restricted by C. H. Merriam in 1905 to Arkansas River, c.42 km below Canyon City, Fremont Co., Colorado, USA.
Thirteen subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
C.l.lateralisSay,1823—SWyoming,Utah,Colorado,NEArizonaandNNewMexico(USA).
C.l.arizonensisBailey,1913—SanFranciscoPeaksinArizona(USA)SEalongMogollonRimtoWCNewMexico.
C.l.bernardinusMerriam,1898—SanBernardinoMtsinCalifornia(USA).
C.l.castanurusMerriam,1890—WasatchRangeinWWyoming,SWIdaho,andNCUtah(USA).
C.l.certusGoldman,1921—SpringMtsinSNevada(USA).
C.l.chrysodeirusMerriam,1890—S&EOregonStoCCalifornia(USA).
C.l.cinerascensMerriam,1890—EIdaho,andSWMontanatoextremeNWWyoming(USA).
C.l.connectensA.H.Howell,1931—SWWashingtonandNEOregon(USA).
C.l.mitratusA.H.Howell,1931—SYollaBollyMt,NCalifornia(USA).
C.l.tescorumHollister,1911—EBritishColumbiaandWAlberta(Canada).
C.l.trinitatusMerriam,1901—extremeSWOregonStoTrinityMts,California(USA).
C. l. wortmani]. A. Allen, 1895 — SW Wyoming S into NW Colorado (USA).
Descriptive notes. Head—body mean 180 mm (males) and 176-5 mm (females), tail 87-2 mm (males) and 83-4 mm (females); weight mean 178 g (males) and 159-7 g (females). The Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrelis small and easily recognized by two white stripes and two black stripes paralleling spine on each side of body and golden brown mantle across back of head. Dorsum is brown, grading to pale yellow or white on sides. Stripes do not extend to face, and black stripes can be greatly reduced. Hands and feet are paler and can be whitish. Tail is brown to slate-gray, sometimes frosted with buff. Most subspecies are endemic to isolated mountains and are thus distinguished by locality. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 42 and FN = 78. X-chromosome is submetacentric, and Y-chromosome is acrocentric.
Habitat. Most often montane and alpine meadows and rocky talus but also various habitats above elevations of 1220 m such as sagebrush steppe, chaparral, and open pinyon— juniper forests. Open forests of pine (Pinus contorta, P. flexilis, and P. ponderosa), spruce (Picea engelmannii), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), all Pinaceae, and quaking aspen
(Populus tremuloides, Salicaceae). It is an early colonist ofsites deforested by timber harvest or fire, and itis occasionally a nuisance in areas of agricultural crops and forest reseeding.
Food and Feeding. The Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is more omnivorous than most ground squirrels. It will feed on a diversity of shrub and herb tissues such as leaves, flowers, and roots. From late summer to autumn, it is granivorous, feeding on seeds of conifers and oaks. It prefers diets high in polyunsaturated fats that assist with physiological functions during low temperatures while hibernating. It also eats fungi, insects, bird eggs and nestlings, lizards, and mammals and will scavenge road-killed animals. It will eat cereal crops and seeds used to vegetate habitat or restore forests.
Breeding. The Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel inhabits burrows with a vegetation-lined nest chamber in which young are born, but it also uses shallow escape burrows or more substantial hibernacula. Males typically emerge slightly before females in spring. Breeding can begin soon after emergence, although some females may not become receptive until a few weeks after emergence. Gestation lasts 26-33 days, after which a litter averaging five young is born; young weigh c¢.6 g at birth, are weaned after c.35 days, and are the last to enter hibernation.
Activity patterns. The Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is diurnal and active aboveground from late March to early November, although individuals are usually active for less than c.4 months, depending on abiotic features of the environment and body condition. Length of hibernation varies with temperature, altitude, and snow depth, but it is usually ¢.8 months/individual. Hibernation can be delayed by restricted caloric intake. It is able to survive at 0-5°C aided by a suite of physiological traits to control breathing, ventilation, respiratory diffusion, muscle enzyme profiles, and diet modifications to ingest appropriate lipids that permit continued functioning at low temperatures.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel excavates modest burrows near structures such as rocks or logs to escape potential predators, nest, and larderhoard overwinter food sources. It can be found in various social settings but is most often in modest densities with home ranges less than 0-4 ha; it is solitary but can aggregate in high-quality habitats. Vocalizations are uncommon except for high-pitched alarm calls and rapid tail flagging when stressed by sound, scent, or presence of a predator.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population trend of the Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is stable. Distribution is reasonably wide and much ofit is protected by federal or state ownership.
Bibliography. Anthony (1928), Bartels & Thompson (1993), Bihr & Smith (1998), Frank (1994), Healy et al. (2012), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008am), MacDonald & Storey (2002, 2005), Merriam (1905), Ormond et al. (2003), Pulawa & Florant (2000), Richter et al. (2015), Rourke et al. (2004), Shriner (1999), Staples & Hochachka (1998), Thorington et al. (2012), Zimmer & Milsom (2001, 2002).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
