Belding's Ground Squirrel

Sciuridae: Squirrel Pictures California Ground Squirrel Fox Squirrel Golden Mantled Squirrel Gray Squirrel Harris' Antelope Squirrel Least Chipmunk Prairie Dog Rock Squirrel Townsend's Chipmunk WV Northern Flying Squirrel Squirrel Pictures

The Belding's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beldingi) is an average sized ground squirrel that lives in the mountain areas of the West, and the grassy regions of the mountains are its preferred habitat.

The body fur tends to be a more uniform brown color than the mottled fur of the California Ground Squirrel, another native West Coast ground squirrel. The top of the fur shows a hint of rust color and the tail is long, but not as bushy as a typical squirrel's bushy tail.

Like other ground squirrels, they live in colonies. Its range is limited to Eastern Oregon and California along with Western Idaho and Nevada.

© 2004 Patricia A. Michaels