Spermophilus suslicus (Guldenstaedt, 1770)
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https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840324 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFA5-ED58-FF13-FD6CFC8BFA8E |
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Diego |
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Spermophilus suslicus |
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Speckled Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus suslicus View in CoL
French: Spermophile tacheté / German: Perlziesel / Spanish: Ardilla terrestre moteada
Other common names: Spotted Souslik
Taxonomy. Mus suslicus Guldenstadt, 1770 , “in campis vastissimus tanaicensibus precipue urbes et Tambov,” Voronezh area, Voronezh Oblast, Russia.
Two to five subspecies have been recognized, but their distributions are controversial. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
S.s.boristhenicusPusanov,1958—isolatedinWBelarus,andEPoland,WUkraine,andMoldova.
S. s. guttatus Pallas, 1770 — extreme E of distribution along the Volga River, in SW Russia.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 180-260 mm,tail 36-57 mm; weight 180-220 g. Dorsal pelage of the Speckled Ground Squirrel is rich auburn-chestnut-brown to light grayish brown, often suffused with ginger. Dorsal fur and head have several small white-to-buff spots that are very pronounced, except on boristhenicus that has faint spots. Chin and eye rings are white to buff, and chestnut-brown spot occurs below each eye. Chest and front legs are cinnamon to ocher, with venter being lighter. Dorsalside of tail is grizzled dark brown to black near base, sometimes suffused with reddish, and frosted with white to straw yellow at tip. Ventral side oftail is paler. Subspecies boristhenicus is more brightly colored and has faint spots. Subspecies guttatusis relatively dark. The Speckled Ground Squirrel has a chromosome number of 2n = 34 throughout most ofits distribution, but a second karyotype of 2n = 36 exists in the western part of the distribution. These western populations are separated geographically from eastern populations by the Dnieper River and may represent a separate species.
Habitat. Open short-grass habitats, such as steppes, pastures, roadsides, and cultivated fields below elevations of ¢.500 m.
Food and Feeding. The Speckled Ground Squirrel feeds mostly on grasses and cereal grains but also eats smaller amounts of insects and other animal matter.
Breeding. Mating of the Speckled Ground Squirrel occurs in a brief period just after emergence from hibernation in spring. During this period, there are significant aggression levels and well-defined dominant/subordinate relations among individuals. It may be monogamous at low densities, but it appears to be polygynous when females aggregate in the territory of a male. Gestation lasts 22-27 days. Litters of 3-8 young are born in burrows, and young emerge after c.20 days in June-July. Young are weaned after 4-5 weeks, and females produce one litter per year. Juvenile survival is low and more than 50% ofjuveniles perish before reaching one year of age. Mortality is highest for late-born young. Infanticide also occurs.
Activity patterns. Speckled Ground Squirrels are diurnal and hibernate in burrows from August-September to February-March.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Territories of Speckled Ground Squirrels are 0-01-0-05 ha, and males usually have largerterritories than females, especially in early spring when males search for females. Territories of females decrease during lactation. Territory overlap is common. Juveniles disperse before their first hibernation, and males in particular move far from natal areas. Short and shallow escape burrows are more common than deep (1-2 m) and more complex maternity and hibernation burrows. Overwinter mortality is variable but can be as high as 70% in severe winters. Adult survival is usually high, and some individuals can reach six years old. Individuals give alarm calls in response to potential predators. Calls are highly variable, weakly modulated, high-pitched, and powerful; calls ofjuveniles cannot be easily distinguished from those of adults.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Current population trend of the Speckled Ground Squirrel is decreasing and has experienced serious decline during the last 50 years. It is legally protected under Appendix II of the Bern Convention. In Poland, the Speckled Ground Squirrel is considered endangered and is protected under national law. Five nature reserves have recently been established to protectitin Poland. Major threats are conversion of native land to agriculture and urbanization and removal by shooting and poisoning. It is often considered a pest when near grain crops. Many populations appear to have experienced genetic bottlenecks in the past, perhaps due to its highly variable demography. Consensusis required in the scientific community as to the species status of the Eastern European race and those from east of the Dnieper River. These races have different chromosome numbers, and the Eastern European race is declining more quickly.
Bibliography. Biedrzycka & Konopinski (2008), Matrosova et al. (2009), Shekarova et al. (2008), Thorington et al. (2012), Titov (2003a, 2003b), Trunova & Lobkov (1997).
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.
