07-24-2008, 11:10 AM
Ground squirrels are rodents, just like mice, beavers, and porcupines, and there are more rodent species in the world than any other type of mammal. In fact, we have 45 different rodent species just in Idaho.
<br>In the Pacific Northwest there are 19 different species of ground squirrels and 14 of these can be found in Idaho. Most ground squirrels species are difficult to tell apart without careful study. The most common species in the Magic Valley are the Piute ground squirrel and the yellow-bellied marmot or "rock chuck".<br>
<br>Ground squirrels can be seen active above ground for approximately four months each year. During this time they have their young and they eat a lot. For food, ground squirrels rely on lush green plants in the spring and early summer and fat-laden plant seeds later.<br>
<br>Ground squirrels do not typically drink water but rather get all their necessary moisture from green plants. Once most of the plants have dried up, ground squirrels retreat into hibernation. Eating seeds helps ground squirrels put on fat which they use to survive a long hibernation period.<br>
<br>Ground squirrels hibernate for approximately eight months each year (June-March). This long period of sleep is used to avoid the dry heat of the summer and then the cold of the winter. During this time they survive only on the fat supplies produced from the foods they ate during the summer months. Ground squirrels essentially have three full-time jobs: raise their young, get as fat as possible, and sleep a lot.<br>
<br>Many hibernating animals will drop their body temperatures to just 38 degrees Fahrenheit. (Remember, our body temperature is 98 degrees and water freezes at 32 degrees). Having a low body temperature slows all of the body processes down and allows hibernating animals to conserve their precious fat stores.<br>
<br>A ground squirrel's life is fascinating, but you only have a few months each year to view them. One of the easiest places to spot them in the Twin Falls area is Dierkes Lake where yellow-bellied marmots can be seen eating to get fattened up for the long hibernation ahead.<br>
<br>Kelton Hatch is the regional conservation educator for the Magic Valley Region.
<br>In the Pacific Northwest there are 19 different species of ground squirrels and 14 of these can be found in Idaho. Most ground squirrels species are difficult to tell apart without careful study. The most common species in the Magic Valley are the Piute ground squirrel and the yellow-bellied marmot or "rock chuck".<br>
<br>Ground squirrels can be seen active above ground for approximately four months each year. During this time they have their young and they eat a lot. For food, ground squirrels rely on lush green plants in the spring and early summer and fat-laden plant seeds later.<br>
<br>Ground squirrels do not typically drink water but rather get all their necessary moisture from green plants. Once most of the plants have dried up, ground squirrels retreat into hibernation. Eating seeds helps ground squirrels put on fat which they use to survive a long hibernation period.<br>
<br>Ground squirrels hibernate for approximately eight months each year (June-March). This long period of sleep is used to avoid the dry heat of the summer and then the cold of the winter. During this time they survive only on the fat supplies produced from the foods they ate during the summer months. Ground squirrels essentially have three full-time jobs: raise their young, get as fat as possible, and sleep a lot.<br>
<br>Many hibernating animals will drop their body temperatures to just 38 degrees Fahrenheit. (Remember, our body temperature is 98 degrees and water freezes at 32 degrees). Having a low body temperature slows all of the body processes down and allows hibernating animals to conserve their precious fat stores.<br>
<br>A ground squirrel's life is fascinating, but you only have a few months each year to view them. One of the easiest places to spot them in the Twin Falls area is Dierkes Lake where yellow-bellied marmots can be seen eating to get fattened up for the long hibernation ahead.<br>
<br>Kelton Hatch is the regional conservation educator for the Magic Valley Region.