Cascade gold-coated ground burrower
| Cascade gold-coated ground burrower | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cascade gold-coated ground burrower |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Callospermophilus saturatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Rhoads , 1895) |
The (or) Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel ( callospermophilus saturatus , Syn. : Spermophilus saturatus ) is a rodent from the family of the croissant (Sciuridae). He lives in northwest North America .
features
The cascade gold-coated ground squirrel is the largest representative within the genus Callospermophilus , to which three species belong. It differs from the Sierra Madre ground squirrel in addition to body size (this reaches up to 243 mm, while the cascade gold-coated ground squirrel is from 286 mm) and red-brown areas of fur on the head and shoulders. The gold-coated ground squirrel is much more similar to it, but also smaller and less pronounced in these areas of fur.
The average total body length of the cascade gold-coated pebble was determined to be 305 mm, females are slightly smaller. The tail is 111 mm long on average. Weight varies between 200 and 350 grams, with individuals increasing steadily over the course of the active annual period (before hibernation).
The cascade gold-coated ground squirrel has a stocky build. His hair is relatively long. On the head, on the sides of the head, and on the shoulders, it is red-brown in color. The ears are yellow-brown, the eyes are surrounded by a pale pink-brown-yellow ring. Two white stripes run across the dark gray-brown back, each from the shoulder to the hip. The white stripes are bordered by black stripes at the top and bottom. The belly, tail and feet are brown-yellow. The annual coat change takes place in June or July and begins on the head and shoulders.
The cascade gold-coated ground burrower has 22 teeth. The tooth formula is I 1 - C 0 - P 1 - M 3.
Occurrence
The cascading gold-coated ground squirrel lives in northwest North America. It was found in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State . The habitat is bounded to the south by the Columbia River , to the north (presumably) by the Tulameen River and to the east by the Similkameen River .
The cascade gold-mantled ground squirrel often lives in pine forests (often under yellow pines ) on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains, but only occasionally on the western slopes. In alpine habitats it can be found in the Krummholz or areas with a high proportion of talus . At an altitude of 800 meters it lives in closed coniferous forests, but also on open meadows and deforested areas.
Reproduction
The two-week mating season of the cascade gold-coated pies takes place in mid to late April. After 28 days, one to five (on average four) young are born. At birth, they weigh around 6 grams. They grow up in subterranean nests for 36 days, after which they have reached an average weight of 85 grams. They are suckled by the mother for at least a week until they consume solid food. The young animals leave the nest at the beginning of April. As a rule, they then do not live in their birth cave, but on average 231 meters away from it (54.8 meters in forests). Over half of the females become pregnant in the first year. Cascade gold-coated ground squirrels live to be over four years old.
behavior
The cascade gold-coated ground squirrel is a diurnal animal that digs caves. It lives in meadows and in forests, also alternately when both habitats are accessible. Above ground, he spends most of his time sitting, followed by eating, grooming and looking for food. Occasionally he climbs three to five meters high on conifers and bushes. He lives underground in caves at least 1 meter deep, in which he finds protection from enemies, sleeps and raises young. Several tunnels lead to the grass-lined nest, the exits of which are next to rocks, tree stumps and the like.
The cascade gold-mantled ground squirrel stays above ground for around 4.5 months of the year. From mid-August to the end of September it goes into hibernation until it becomes active again in spring.
nutrition
The cascade gold-mantled ground squirrel is primarily a herbivore . It mainly eats hypogean mushrooms, vetch leaves , bark, grass seeds and leaves, and seeds from conifers. In some habitats, berries ( Shallon shamberries , blueberries , whitebeams ) are part of his diet. Occasionally he also eats carrion.
Predators
Among the predators of the Cascade Goldmantelziesels include Great Horned Owl , hawk , red-tailed hawks , Merlin , long-eared owl , coyote , red fox , long-tailed weasel , American marten and bobcat .
Taxonomy
The cascade gold-coated ground squirrel is a species of the genus Callospermophilus within the ground squirrel . The first description was in 1895 by Samuel Nicholson Rhoads . The genus has long been classified as part of the ground squirrel and within the sub-genus Callospermophilus , but after a comprehensive molecular biological investigation, this was considered as an independent genus together with several other genera.
The cascade gold-coated ground squirrel has been classified by some authors as a subspecies of the gold-coated ground squirrel or used as a synonym for it. A genetic analysis is still pending.
literature
- Stephen C. Trombulak: Spermophilus saturatus. In: Mammalian Species . No. 322, December 1988, pp. 1–4, online (PDF; 504 kB)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 296-298. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Stephen C. Trombulak: Spermophilus saturatus. 1988, p. 1.
- ↑ Stephen C. Trombulak: Spermophilus saturatus. 1988, p. 2.
- ↑ a b c d e Stephen C. Trombulak: Spermophilus saturatus. 1988, p. 3.
- ↑ a b Stephen C. Trombulak: Spermophilus saturatus. 1988, p. 4.
- ↑ Matthew D. Herron, Todd A. Castoe, Christopher L. Parkinson: Sciurid phylogeny and the paraphyly of holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31, 2004; Pp. 1015-1030. ( Full text ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. , PMID 15120398 )
- ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the holarctic ground squirrels genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2), 2009; Pp. 270-305. doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1
Web links
- Callospermophilus saturatus on the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.2. Listed by: Linzey, AV & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.), 2007. Retrieved December 19, 2013.