Field Guide/Mammals/Franklin's Ground Squirrel

Franklin's Ground Squirrel Spermophilus franklinii Franklin's Ground Squirrel.jpg thumb Franklin's Ground Squirrel]] Cute little Franklin's Ground Squirrel eating. Squirrel (Sciuridae) Ostroff A. C. Finck E. J. 2003 Spermophilus franklinii The American Society of Mammalogists http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/pdf/724_Spermophilus_franklinii.pdf September 24, 2012 Length: Ranges from 14-16 inches (355-410 mm). Average is 14.6 inches (371 mm). Average Weight: Males is 12.3-33.5 oz. (350-950 g). Females is 12-26.8 oz. (340-760 g). North American Mammals:Spermophilusfranklinii Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History NMNH http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=337 September 24, 2012 Dark brownish grey fur speckled with pale and dark flecks. Fur on sides of body is pale. Tail is blackish mixed with pale flecks. Head is typically grayer than the rest of their body. Pergams O. Nyberg D. NatureServe (Hammerson, G.) 2008 Spermophilus franklinii http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/41787/0 September 24, 2012 Franklin’s Ground Squirrel is similar to the Gray Tree Squirrel except that Franklin’s Ground Squirrel is smaller and has shorter ears and tail.Franklin's Ground Squirrel periodical Chiwaukee Prairie Preservation Fund, Inc. http://www.chiwaukee.org/fauna/fgsquirrel.htm September 24, 2012 Occurs in the United States and Canada. From Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois northward to Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Tall, dense cover grasses, shrubs, and small trees. Tallgrass and mid-grass prairie. Occupy prairie, woodland edges, forest openings, thickets, and bog borders. Avoid short grass. Hofmann J. E. 1999 INHS Reports: Franklin's Ground Squirrel: An Increasingly Rare Prairie Mammal Illinois Natural History Survey - University of Illinois http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/inhsreports/jan-feb99/franklin.html September 24, 2012 Agriculture suitable habitats include fence rows to old fields, cemetery prairies, and ditch banks. Most carnivorous of ground squirrels. Green plants, seeds, fruit, insects, amphibians, bird eggs, young birds and mammals, and carrion. It is Diurnal. Begins hibernation by late September. Emerge from hibernation during April. Breeding starts immediately after hibernation and lasts until early June. Gestation lasts 28 days. Litter size is 5-11, average is 7. One litter per year. Weaned in 40 days. Born naked and blind. Fully furred after 16 days. Eyes open after 18-20 days. Females 4-5 years. Males 1-2 years.