![]() ![]() Thirteen-lined ground squirrels give alarm calls when they sense the presence of a predator, then all surrounding squirrels escape into their burrows. What eats them and how do they avoid being eaten? They also consume animal matter, such as insects, occasional small vertebrates, bird eggs, and carrion. They will also store plant material underground, transporting it in cheek pouches. They will eat the leaves of grass and clover. Their genus name, Spermophilus, means "seed lover," and these squirrels eat the seeds of weed plants as well as available crop species like corn and wheat. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are omnivorous. They also greet one another by touching noses and lips. They rub glands around their mouth on objects to leave scent marks. They use alarm calls and other sounds, as well as using special scented secretions, to communicate with other squirrels. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels have excellent senses of vision, touch, and smell. Stored up food is consumed during hibernation breaks, especially just before emergence. During hibernation, they can lose up to 1/3 of their body weight. They are true hibernators, allowing their body temperature to drop to just above freezing and their heart rate to drop to as low as 20 beats per minute from their usual 200. They hibernate in underground burrows from August through March. In the fall, thirteen-lined ground squirrels rapidly gain weight (up to 4 gm fat per day) to prepare for winter hiibernation. There are usually 1 to 20 animals per acre depending on the season. These squirrels are not colonial but may live close to others in a small area because of access to good habitat. They also build complex deeper underground burrows used for nesting and hibernation. They dig shallow emergency burrows that do not go anywhere, but stop ina dead end. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are diurnal and most active at midday and on warm sunny days. Once they have reached adulthood Thirteen-lined ground squirrels probably live for only a few years. Up to 90% of newborns die from predation before hibernation begins. These animals are found in the following types of habitat.Mowed lawns, golf courses, cemetaries, well-grazed pastures, parks and roadsides are also common habitats. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels prefer open areas with short grass and well-drained sandy or loamy soils for burrows. ![]() They are found as far north as central Alberta and Saskatchewan and are as far south as the Texas coast. Currently they can be found as far east as Ohio and as far west as Montana and Arizona. Originally confined to the prairie, they have extended their range northward and eastward over the past two centuries as land has been cleared. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are native to the Nearctic region and found in central North America. ![]() Average basal metabolic rate 0.983 W AnAge.Weight ranges from 110 to 140 grams in the spring but these squirrels may double their weight just before entering hibernation in the winter. Total length ranges from 170 to 310 mm, with the tail making up from 60 to 132 mm of that. Males and females are similar in appearance. This squirrel often sits erect with nose pointed up. The ears are short, and the tail is thin and sparingly bushy. The "thirteen lines" consist of either seven broad dark brown stripes alternating with six thin tan bands or seven narrow yellow stripes alternating with six broader dark brown stripes. These stripes are where the thirteen-lined ground squirrel got its name. The dark brown stripes are wider than the tan stripes, and have tan rectangular spots along the midline. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are small and slender rodents, with alternate stripes of dark brown and tan, extending from the neck to the tail. ![]()
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