Columbian ground squirrel: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the Columbian ground squirrel lives – recorded in 2 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Urocitellus columbianus
Group	Squirrels, chipmunks & marmots
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	2 countries
Continents	North America
Class	Mammal
Order	Rodentia
Family	Sciuridae

Where does the Columbian ground squirrel live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the Columbian ground squirrel in 2 countries and territories across North America.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the Columbian ground squirrel endangered?

The Columbian ground squirrel’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the Columbian ground squirrel?

The Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) is a mammal in the order Rodentia and the family Sciuridae, genus Urocitellus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the Columbian ground squirrel

The Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) is a species of rodent common in certain regions of Canada and the northwestern United States. It is the second largest member of the genus Urocitellus, which is part of the tribe Marmotini, along with marmots, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and other holarctic ground squirrels. They are stout, with short dense fur, which is characteristically tawny across the bridge of the nose. Social encounters sometimes are initiated with kissing behavior and the most common activity above ground is standing at attention. Residing in mountainous terrain and high plains in northern latitudes, they hibernate for 8 to 9 months of the year in burrows, which may be used for many years. They are emaciated when emerging in the spring. The Columbian ground squirrel came to the attention of the scientific community through writings produced by Lewis and Clark, while 21st century molecular genetics has more finely illuminated its ties with other close relatives.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Columbian ground squirrel (revision 1368649299), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q21730465 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).