Stats

Lifespan: 3-6 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Herbivore
Activity: Diurnal
Social: Colony
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: North America
Movement: Burrowing
Breeding: Live birth
Defense: Burrowing
Status: Uncommon

About

Found in the oak woodlands and grasslands of the Pacific Northwest, Douglas's Ground Squirrel digs extensive burrow systems and stands upright as a sentinel to watch for hawks and coyotes. It spends the hottest, driest part of summer in a dormant state called estivation, well before true winter hibernation begins.

Life cycle

1.
newborn pup
A blind, hairless pup nurses in the nest and is unable to regulate its own warmth.
2.
juvenile
A weaned juvenile is fully furred, leaves the nest, and begins foraging on solid food.
3.
adult
Fully grown and self-sufficient.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Otospermophilus
Species: Otospermophilus douglasii