Callospermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6835664 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFAD-ED50-FF65-F8DCF95FF440 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Callospermophilus saturatus |
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212. View On
Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus saturatus View in CoL
French: Spermophile des Cascades / German: Kaskaden-Goldmantelziesel / Spanish: Ardilla terrestre de manto dorado de las Cascadas
Taxonomy. Tamias lateralis saturatus Rhoads, 1895 ,
Lake Keechelus, Kittitas County, Washington.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Cascade Range of SW British Columbia (Canada) and W Washington (USA).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 287-315 mm (males) and 286-312 mm (females), tail 100-118 mm (males) and 92-116 mm (females); weight 200-350 g. Dorsal pelage of the Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is grizzled gray-brown to charcoal, suffused with buff to ocher. Pair of white torso-lateral stripes extend from shoulders to hips; black stripe occurs below and above each white stripe. Top and sides of head and shoulders have a variable and sometimes indistinct russet mantle. Eye ring is pinkish buff, chin is often white to buff, and cheeks are straw yellow to russet. It can be distinguished from a chipmunk (7amias) by absence of facial stripes. Ventral fur and feet are buff to straw yellow. Tail is dark,grizzled dorsally, and buff to straw yellow to ocherous ventrally.
Habitat. Talus, montane meadows, forest clearings, sagebrush steppes, krummholz (stunted windblown trees), open pine forests, and closed subalpine and alpine forests.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrelis rich in fungi, especially in autumn, and shoots, leaves, fruits, and seeds of various grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees. It also eats insects and scavenges carrion when available.
Breeding. Mating of the Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel occurs soon after emergence from hibernation and lasts c.2 weeks. Females produce only one litter per year, and yearling females are able to breed. Yearling males usually do not breed and frequently delay breeding until their third year. Gestation is ¢.28 days, and litters are born in burrows and have 1-5 young (average four), weighing 5-2-6-5 g (average 6 g). Young emerge from natal burrows at ¢.36 days from July to early August and are weaned at c.7 weeks old.
Activity patterns. The Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is diurnal and terrestrial but occasionally climbs into bushes and conifers for food or cover. They hibernate in burrows for 8-9 months, with adults emerging as early as April or May, followed by yearlings 1-2 weeks later. Adults and yearlings immerge to hibernate in mid-August to late September, but juveniles remain aboveground up to November or early December.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Natal dispersal of the Cascade Goldenmantled Ground Squirrel is not sex-biased. Juvenile males disperse an average of 182 m from their natal areas, and females disperse an average of 158 m. Adults and yearlings live alone. Burrows are used for escape, nesting, and hibernation. Burrow entrances typically are placed near objects such as rocks, boulders, shrubs, or trees; multiple tunnels descend to a plant-lined nest chamber. Alarm call is a multinote trill, with high note followed by rapid series of lower notes; it has components in the ultrasonic range.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. In 1992, the Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is listed on the Blue List of vulnerable species in British Columbia that contains animals that are at risk of disturbance but not extinction. Current population trend is stable, and there are no major threats. Its distribution includes some protected areas. It reaches highest densities in public parks where refuse is available as food, and it tolerates disturbance by humans.
Bibliography. Eiler & Banack (2004), Hayssen et al. (1993), Leung & Cheng (1997), Thorington et al. (2012), Trombulak (1987 1988).
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.
