Sciuridae
 Spermophilus richardsonii
(Richardson's ground squirrel)

Image Caption:
A litter of five young Richardson's ground squirrels venture out from their natal burrow.  According to Michener and Koeppl, the female annually gives birth to an average of 7.5 young (n=61, range of 3 to 13), and an average of 6.7 young (n=234, range 1 to 13) emerge from the burrow some 26 to 33 days later (1985, p. 3).  In optimum conditions, the ground squirrel population would approximately quadruple each year.

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Spermophilus richardsonii (Richardson's ground squirrel) Young (Litter)
Works Cited:

Michener, G. R. & Koeppl, J. W.  (1985).  Spermophilus richardsonii.  The American Society of Mammalogists Mammalian Species 243. (University of Lethbridge Link).
Image Location: United States, South Dakota, Brookings
Image Date: 2009MAY21
Image Species: Spermophilus richardsonii
(EXIF Information is accurate, stamped in UTC).

Web Page and Pictures By Peter Leitheiser
Updated: 2009MAY27