Urocitellus canus (Merriam, 1898)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Sciuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 648-837 : 803

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6835662

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF92-ED6F-FFF7-FE44FBB2FF49

treatment provided by

Diego

scientific name

Urocitellus canus
status

 

209. View On

Merriam’s Ground Squirrel

Urocitellus canus View in CoL

French: Spermophile de Merriam / German: Merriam-Ziesel / Spanish: Ardila terrestre de Merriam

Taxonomy. Spermophilus mollis canus Merriam, 1898 View in CoL , “Antelope, Wasco County, Oregon, [USA].”

Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

U.c.canusMerriam,1898—EOregonStoextremeNECaliforniaandNWNevadainNWUSA.

U. c. vigilis Merriam, 1913 — extreme E Oregon to WC Idaho (USA).

Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 153-3 mm (males) and 160-2 mm (females), tail mean 38-4 mm (males) and 40-8 m (females); weight mean 154 g. Merriam’s Ground Squirrel is small-bodied and is generally dark gray, with no visible stripes or spots. Dorsum, face, cheeks, and hips are washed with buff atop whitish venter. Tail is gray, short, and relatively narrow, tinged with cinnamon on underside. Subspecies vigilis is slightly larger and more whitish than canus.

Habitat. Non-forested desert chaparral characteristic of the Upper Sonoran life zone of sagebrush (Artemisia, Asteraceae), juniper (Juniperus, Cupressaceae), and greasewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus, Sarcobataceae). Merriam’s Ground Squirrel also occurs in relatively mesic riparian areas, irrigation ditches, pastures, agricultural fields, and disturbed open areas of agricultural development when available.

Food and Feeding. Merriam’s Ground Squirrelis a generalist herbivore and eats vegetation, fruits, roots, and seeds; it also eats and scavenges animal material (e.g. insects). Subspecies vigilis, in particular, can damage alfalfa fields.

Breeding. Merriam’s Ground Squirrel inhabits burrows with a vegetation-lined nest chamber in which young are born. Males emerge in the early March and are sexually active for at least a month. Length of gestation and lactation are unknown. Single litters of 5-10 young appear in late April or early May.

Activity patterns. Merriam’s Ground Squirrelis diurnal, although adults are known to be crepuscular during heat of summer. Adults enter hibernation first beginning in mid-July-August, followed by young-of-the-year; adults emerge in early March.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Merriam’s Ground Squirrel can occur at high densities of ¢.20-50 ind/ha before and after young are weaned.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population trend of Merriam’s Ground Squirrel is unknown. It is controlled locally as a pest on agricultural land, and populations are fragmented by range degradation. Basic knowledge on population ecology is lacking and makes assessment difficult, but projections suggest little change in available habitat with predicted levels of climate change.

Bibliography. Cole & Wilson (2009), Helgen et al. (2009), Langdon (2013), Mateju & Kratochvil (2013), Thorington et al. (2012), Yensen & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008), Yensen & Sherman (2003).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Sciuridae

Genus

Urocitellus

Loc

Urocitellus canus

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier 2016
2016
Loc

Spermophilus mollis canus

Merriam 1898
1898
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