| Location: |
South Dakota, Brookings County, Oaklake State Park |
| Date: |
2009APR to 2009JUL |
| Observer: |
Peter Leitheiser |
| Summary: |
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) |
What's that there, hiding in the grass?
Why, it's the most distinctive American ground squirrel. Meet the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), sometimes called the partiot squirrel for it's similarity to the American flag. They are common in South Dakota and many other states, especially along roads.
With their short legs, they slink though the grass, and their hansom stripes mask the motion.
The diet is insects, grasses, and seeds, and their preferred habitat is short grass -- where they can see what's going on around them.
Young emerged in early July.
And the young were the last to pad their dens for winter hibernation, beginning sometime in September.
Report and Photos by Peter Leitheiser