Ground squirrel

The ground squirrel is a digger and builds it’s nest underground. They belong to a large family of ground squirrels known as sciuridae. Chipmunks, marmots and prairie dogs are but a few members of this group. Depending on the species, their coloration is some shade of brown with some having stripes or stripes of spots on their back. They are active in the daytime and eat grasses, seeds and the leaves of various plants. It’s been reported they even eat the occasional insect or two. They hibernate during the winter. In the spring with the greening of the grasses the female may produce as many as 11 or 12 young. In north America they are extremely numerous and can be found almost everywhere. They grow to about 6 or 7 inches in length and weigh a couple of pounds at most. They disappear into their burrows at the first sign of danger with their chief enemies being eagles, hawks, badgers, bobcats and coyotes.