Columbia River Valley seem unnecessary, for the climate is temperate and
humid. It is not established that _douglasii_ hibernates in other parts
of its range where the climate is mild. Specimens shot at White Salmon
in early March were lean and gave no evidence of having hibernated.
The Beechey ground squirrel is an excellent climber; I have seen
individuals in oak trees on a number of occasions. They like to sit on
fence posts and when alarmed descend head foremost, with speed and
agility. In running on the ground their movements are more graceful than
those of _Citellus columbianus_ but are unlike the flowing, bounding run
of tree squirrels.
Near White Salmon and Lyle, these ground squirrels were eating burr
clover (_Medicago_), grasses (_Bromus_), and alfalfa. In some places
they do considerable damage to alfalfa fields. They probably eat acorns
and are said to eat some insects.
In California the young are born in May and number five to seven.
No disease has been recorded for this subspecies but a related form in
California (_Citellus b. beecheyi_) is known to harbor plague (Kellogg,
1935: 857) and tularemia (McCoy, 1911: 53-71).
=Citellus lateralis= (Say)
Golden-mantled ground squirrel
_Description._--The head and body measure about 6 inches and the tail
about 4 inches. The head is large and rounded with eyes and ears of
moderate size. The body is stouter than that of a chipmunk. The tail is
long and well furred. Upper parts are buffy gray with one pale stripe
bordered by two black stripes extending from shoulders to rump, and the
underparts are buffy. The head and shoulders are tawny. The tail is
buffy beneath and darker above.
Externally golden-mantled ground squirrels somewhat resemble chipmunks
but actually are no more closely related to chipmunks than are other
ground squirrels. They are larger than chipmunks and their stripes
differ in that there is but one pale stripe on each side bordered with
black stripes rather than two pale stripes, and in that the stripes end
at the shoulders rather than continuing on to the face.
These ground squirrels are distributed in mountainous areas of western
North America from central British Columbia south to central Arizona and
New Mexico. A closely related species (_Citellus madrensis_) occupies a
limited area in northern Mexico and another lives in the Cascades of
Washington. There are two subspecies of _lateralis_ in Washington, each
with a major part of its range outside of Washington.
This species inhabits mountain clearings, parks and talus slides, where
it is most common about rocks, stumps, and logs. Its fondness for talus
slides and outcrops has earned it the common name of "rock squirrel" in
some places.
Entrances to burrows are usually beside a rock, stump, or root, or are
concealed under talus slides. A burrow excavated by Hatt (1927) in
Colorado was three inches in diameter at the entrance and uniformly two
inches in diameter for the rest of its length. Most of the burrow was 8
inches beneath the surface. The tunnel branched twice and contained one
pocket, probably a turning or passing chamber, in addition to the nest.
"A runway surrounded the nest on three sides, from which there were four
passages leading in. The nest cavity was 4 inches deep, the nest not
filling the space available, but occurring more as a mat in the bottom
of a cup."
The habits of this ground squirrel in Washington are little known. Since
it occupies areas that are cold and under deep snow in winter, it
probably hibernates. According to Howell (1938: 32) these animals become
fat in the fall and must retire for the winter about the middle of
September.
The food habits of these ground squirrels in Washington are little
known. In the Pend Oreille Mountains, Pend Oreille County, I found them
eating the fruit of the western raspberry (_Rubus leucodermis_). Howell
lists, as food of this species, the seeds of yellow pine and douglas
fir, serviceberries, other berries and seeds, grain, mushrooms, and
several kinds of insects.
=Citellus lateralis tescorum= (Hollister)
_Callospermophilus lateralis tescorum_ Hollister, Smithsonian Misc.
Coll., 56 (no. 26):2, December 5, 1911.
_Citellus lateralis tescorum_ Elliot, Check-list Mamm. N. Amer.,
Supp., p. 29, 1917.
_Type._--Obtained at the head of Moose Pass Branch, Smoky River,
Alberta (near Moose Pass, British Columbia), 7,000 ft., by N.
Hollister on August 2, 1911; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Large size, gray color.
_Measurements._--A female from Pass Creek Pass, Pend Oreille
County, measures: total length 257; length of tail 90; hind foot
40; ear 14.
_Distribution._--Known only from the Pend Oreille Mountains, Pend
Oreille County, at Pass Creek Pass (W. W. D.).
[Illustration: FIG. 86. Distribution of golden-mantled ground
squirrels in Washington. A. _Citellus lateralis tescorum._
B. _Citellus lateralis connectens._ C. _Citellus saturatus._]
=Citellus lateralis connectens= (Howell)
_Callospermophilus chrysodeirus connectens_ Howell, Jour. Mamm.,
12:161, May 14, 1931.
_Citellus lateralis connectens_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 56:205,
May 18, 1938.
_Type._--Obtained at Homestead, Oregon, by H. H. Sheldon on June 1,
1916; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial Characters._--Similar to _C. l. tescorum_ but browner,
more buffy and less grayish, mantle brighter, size slightly
smaller.
_Measurements._--Seven males from northeastern Oregon average
(Howell, 1938: 206): total length 266; length of tail 92; hind
foot 41.7; ear 14.8 (dry). An adult female from Godman Springs,
Columbia County, measures: total length 257; length of tail 87;
hind foot 37; ear 14.
_Distribution._--The Blue Mountains of extreme southeastern
Washington.
_Remarks._--This race differs markedly from the subspecies that
occupies northeastern Washington, but differs but little from
_Citellus l. chrysodeirus_ of the Cascades of Oregon.
=Citellus saturatus= (Rhoads)
Golden-mantled ground squirrel
_Tamias lateralis saturatus_ Rhoads, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 1895:43, April 9, 1895.
[_Spermophilus lateralis_] _saturatus_ Elliot, Field Columb. Mus.
Publ. 45, zoöl. ser., 2:83, 1901.
_Citellus lateralis saturatus_ Elliot, Field Columb. Mus. Publ.
105, zoöl. ser., 6:106, 1905.
_Callospermophilus lateralis saturatus_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus.
Bull., 79:316, December 31, 1912.
_Citellus saturatus_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 56:212, May 18, 1936.
_Type._--Obtained at Lake Keechelus, 3000 ft., Kittitas County,
Washington, by A. Rupert, in September, 1893; type in Academy of
Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.
_Measurements._--Ten males from the Cascade Mountains average:
total length 305; length of tail 110.9; hind foot 46.5; ear 17
(dry). The weights of 3 males and 5 females average, respectively:
281 grams; 259.4 grams.
_Distribution._--The higher and eastern Cascade Mountains from
Barron (Howell, 1938: 213) and Bauerman Ridge (Howell, 1938: 213)
south to Cleveland (Howell, 1938: 213) and Goldendale (W. W. D.).
_Remarks._--The golden-mantled ground squirrel of the Cascades is
similar to _Citellus lateralis_ but is larger and duller-colored. Head
and body are about 8 inches in length and the tail is about 4-1/2 inches
long. The upper parts are brownish gray with one pale and two dark
stripes on each side. Head and shoulders are tawny. The underparts are
dull buffy gray.
_Citellus saturatus_ occupies the Cascade Mountains of Washington and
southern British Columbia. It inhabits talus slides and clearings. The
rock embankment of the Great Northern Railroad between the Cascade
Tunnel and Leavenworth, Chelan County, is a favored habitat and the
population along the railroad probably averages one squirrel each
hundred yards. To the east it extends well into the Transition
Life-zone, being abundant in clearings in the open forest of yellow
pine. In places its range nearly reaches the Upper Sonoran Life-zone. A
few miles east of Leavenworth, Chelan County, we found this squirrel in
chapparal and brush, principally composed of _Ceanothus creneatus_. Here
the animals were unusually abundant and formed a colony almost as dense
as colonies of _Citellus washingtoni_.
Entrances of burrows are usually placed beside rocks, stumps or logs.
In the area near Leavenworth, mentioned above, entrances to burrows
were in the open or among roots of bushes. The entrances to many
burrows are doubtless concealed under talus slides. No complete records
of excavations of burrows are available. One burrow, uncovered by road
construction operations three miles east of Scenic, Chelan County, was
dug in the earth-filled cleft of a great granite boulder. The cleft
was 5 feet wide at the surface of the ground but narrowed until at a
depth of six feet the stones were in contact. The cleft was at least
10 yards long. The burrow descended at an angle of 45 degrees, to a
depth of three feet. Here the construction work had passed the cleft,
but digging into the almost vertical wall uncovered the nest at the end
of a horizontal tunnel two feet farther on. It was a matted cup of dry
grass with two fresh, green fern fronds lying loose in the cup. Two
divergent burrows emerged on opposite sides of the nest cavity, but a
fall of the loose, gravelly soil prevented further observation. The
body of the occupant, crushed and mangled by the steam-shovel scoop,
was that of a small male.
[Illustration: FIG. 87. Golden-mantled ground squirrel (_Citellus
saturatus_), captured when young at Tye, Washington, by Earl J.
Larrison, June 20, 1940; photographed February 1, 1941. (Fish and
Wildlife Service photo by Victor B. Scheffer, No. 1139.)]
In spite of their vivacious appearance, these squirrels are rather
sedentary. When undisturbed they move leisurely over rocks and stumps,
pausing often, and occasionally sitting on their hindquarters to gaze
about for minutes at a time. They are good climbers and often ascend
smooth-barked trees to heights of 20 feet or more. At the approach
of danger they descend and enter the nearest burrow. In August these
ground squirrels become exceedingly fat and by late September only a
few may be seen, basking in the midday sun. These take alarm at the
slightest excuse. All have usually gone into hibernation by October 15.
The food includes the berries of salal, huckleberry, mountain ash, and
seeds of lupine. Near Liberty, Kittitas County, a squirrel killed by a
car had its cheek pouches stuffed with garden peas. The source of its
loot was doubtless the garden of a farmhouse 100 feet away. Numerous
individuals are run over by cars, and on many occasions I have found
other individuals eating the sun-dried flesh of their mates, parents,
or young. These cannibals are often run over while so engaged, and it
is not unusual to find two or three dead on a section of pavement 20
feet in length.
Economically this species is of little importance. Its principal enemies
probably include hawks, weasels, martens, bobcats and coyotes.
=Sciurus griseus griseus= Ord
Western gray squirrel
_Sciurus griseus_ Ord, Jour. de phys., 87:152, 1818.
_Sciurus griseus griseus_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 128:222,
April 29, 1924.
_Type._--None. Described from a squirrel seen by Lewis and Clark.
Type locality, The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon.
_Measurements._--A female from midway between Satus Pass and
Goldendale, Klickitat County, measured: total length 560; length
of tail 264; hind foot 76; weight 897 grams.
_Distribution._--Southwestern Washington north to the glacial
prairies near Tacoma (W. W. D.); the Columbia River Valley of the
southern Cascades; the eastern edge of the Cascades north to Lake
Chelan (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 18).
[Illustration: FIG. 88. Distribution of the western gray squirrel,
_Sciurus griseus_, in Washington.]
_Description._--This is the largest tree squirrel found in Washington.
The head and body measure about 12 inches, and the tail about 11 inches.
The body is long and slender. The fur is long and soft, that on the tail
being exceptionally long. The upper parts are silvery gray and the
underparts white.
The western gray squirrel is restricted to the region of the Pacific
Coast and ranges from central Washington south to northern Lower
California. Three subspecies are recognized, only one of which occurs in
Washington. Like the red squirrels, the western gray squirrel is
arboreal. Its favored habitat is the oak woods rather than coniferous
forest. Its range in Washington is largely regulated by the distribution
of oaks, especially the garry oak (_Quercus garryana_). Altitudinally it
ranges from near sea level at Puget Sound to above 2,500 feet elevation
in the eastern Cascade Mountains. It seems to be restricted to the
Transition Life-zone.
The habits of the western gray squirrel are modified by its arboreal
existence. Homes consist of holes in hollow trees or outside nests of
sticks and twigs. It is extremely active in trees and travels from tree
to tree on branches that seem scarcely strong enough to bear the weight
of so large an animal. The oak woods in Washington are usually rather
open and the trees more scattered than is the case in coniferous
forests. Consequently gray squirrels must more often descend to the
ground than Douglas and red squirrels. On the ground, western gray
squirrels travel in smooth leaps each of two feet or more in length. The
long tail is held out behind and "follows through" the animal's leaps in
a remarkable way. The tip of the tail may be descending from the
previous leap while the animal's fore parts are already at the height of
a new jump. This results in a "flowing" movement that is extremely
graceful. The squirrel may stop momentarily to dig in the ground or
search for an acorn. At such times the tail is immediately switched up,
over the back.
The western gray squirrel is able to drop unharmed for considerable
distances. Near Fort Lewis, Pierce County, a gray squirrel was cornered
in a tall fir tree and an agile friend volunteered to climb the tree.
The squirrel ascended to the very topmost branches. When only a few feet
separated them the squirrel leaped far out into the air. Its legs were
stretched out stiffly, the tail was extended and the body slightly
arched. It struck the ground with an audible thud and bounced fully 18
inches. At the height of its bounce, the squirrel's legs began moving
rapidly, and it struck the ground the second time at a full run.
The principal food is acorns, although the seeds of the Douglas fir and
probably other conifers are eaten. Four embryos were found by Victor B.
Scheffer in a specimen from Klickitat County on March 20, 1939.
=Sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus= Merriam
Eastern gray squirrel
_Sciurus carolinensis hypophaeus_ Merriam, Science, 7:351, April
16, 1886.
_Type._--Obtained at Elk River, Sherburne County, Minnesota.
_Description._--Size large, slightly smaller than the western gray
squirrel; color of upper parts less silvery, more reddish, especially on
the dorsal area and top of the tail.
_Remarks._--The eastern gray squirrel was introduced at Woodland Park,
Seattle, in 1925. The original stock (7 pairs) came from Minneapolis,
Minnesota. It has spread through the nearby woods, around Green Lake,
Cowan Park, and to the woods on the University of Washington Campus.
Occasional individuals are found outside the city limits, but the
species seems not to spread away from the city.
=Sciurus niger= Linnaeus subsp?
Fox squirrel
[_Sciurus_] _niger_ Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 1 (10th ed.):64, 1758.
_Description._--Similar in size and appearance to the eastern gray
squirrel but upper parts more reddish and underparts reddish orange
rather than white.
_Remarks._--Occasional fox squirrels are encountered near Seattle where
they have been introduced from the southeastern United States. The
source and date of the introduction are unknown.
=Tamiasciurus hudsonicus= (Erxleben)
Red squirrel
_Description._--The head and body of the red squirrel measure about
7-3/4 inches, the tail about 5 inches. It may be recognized by its trim
body, bushy tail and white underparts. The upper parts are reddish gray,
reddest on the dorsal area. The red color of the center of the back
extends to the tail. A black line separates the dark upper parts from
the white underparts.
Red squirrels range over North America from the northern limit of tree
growth south through the United States to Tennessee and North Carolina.
A related species, _douglasii_, is found along the Pacific coast from
British Columbia to California. The genus _Tamiasciurus_ differs from
_Sciurus_ of Washington in lacking a penis bone or baculum. There are
other fundamental differences in anatomy (see Mossman, Lawlah and
Bradley, 1932: 89-155).
The habitat of the red squirrels is the coniferous forests from which
they rarely stray. Zonally they range through the Transition and
Canadian life-zones into the Hudsonian Life-zone. Red squirrels are
arboreal and most of their habits are modified by arboreal existence.
They are swift and agile climbers, able to travel from tree to tree on
slender twigs or by leaping as much as ten feet to span the distance
from one branch to another. They ascend and descend trees head first.
They hang by their hind feet, high in the air, to clip the cones of
conifers. If cornered in a tree they leap far out and, by extending the
legs and tail stiffly, fall to the ground unharmed by leaps of fifty
feet or more.
[Illustration: FIG. 89. Douglas squirrel (_Tamiasciurus douglasii
douglasii_): feeding station with remnants of Douglas fir cone,
Longmire, Washington, elevation 2,700 feet, June 25, 1937. (Fish
and Wildlife Service photo by Victor B. Scheffer, No. 268.)]
The homes of red squirrels are woodpecker holes or other holes in hollow
trees. More rarely they build outside nests of twigs and branches, about
two feet in diameter, or add onto old nests of crows or jays. Most nests
and holes are some distance from the ground but some holes are between
roots on the ground itself.
The food consists principally of the seeds of coniferous trees,
especially Douglas fir and various species of pines. Cones are clipped
when green or just before ripening and are either allowed to fall to the
ground to be retrieved later or are at once carried to a favored feeding
place to be consumed. Cones are held between the forepaws while the
squirrel sits on its hind feet, tail curved up over its back, and
rapidly clips the cone apart to get the seeds it contains. The cone is
rotated between the paws and a steady stream of husks drops to the
ground. Soon only the core is left and this too joins the husks on the
ground. Favored feeding stations are used continually, perhaps by
generation after generation of squirrels, and debris from thousands of
cones accumulates in great piles.
Cones are stored. In the vicinity of a favored feeding place, at times
virtually every hiding place is filled with green cones. Cones may be
jammed into cracks or crevices in logs or stumps without effort at
concealment or may be carefully covered with leaves or dry needles. Many
are placed in craterlike pits dug in the ground. Most of these pits
probably are later covered over but many are left open to the weather.
Hollows in trees are probably also used for storage, as are holes dug
into the piles of accumulated cone debris beneath feeding stations.
Other food eaten by squirrels includes hazelnuts, berries, maple seeds,
and mushrooms. A variety of fruits and seeds are doubtless eaten when
opportunity offers.
Red squirrels do not hibernate. In the lowlands they are active all
winter long but are noticeably shy and quiet. In the mountains they
disappear after the snow falls but tracks may be seen in the snow about
their dens and occasional individuals are seen. Specimens collected at
this time are not fat, as would be the case if hibernation had been
interrupted. Seemingly they stay close to their homes and feed on stored
food.
The call of the red squirrel is harsher, more metallic, than that of the
Douglas squirrel. The common call is a rolling "bur-r-r," starting loud
but fading out entirely in a half minute. A lower-pitched "pauf" is
uttered at intervals when the squirrel is going about its business. The
danger cry is a loud "pee-ee," not unlike the call of a red-tailed hawk
but less shrill. A low pitched "chauf-chauf-chauf," repeated at
intervals of about two seconds, is occasionally given in the fall of the
year.
=Tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori= (Allen)
_Sciurus hudsonicus streatori_ Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.,
10:267, July 22, 1898.
_T[amiasciurus]. h[udsonicus]. streatori_ Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Washington, 49:135, August 22, 1936.
_Type._--Obtained at Ducks, British Columbia; type in American
Museum of Natural History.
_Racial characters._--Similar to _richardsoni_ but smaller and
darker, redder above.
_Measurements._--Seven males from north-central Washington average:
total length 330; length of tail 129; hind foot 51; ear 23.
_Distribution._--Northeastern Washington. Marginal occurrences are
(from Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 17): Beaver Creek, Ruby Creek, and
head of Lake Chelan.
_Remarks._--This race reaches Washington from the interior of
British Columbia. Intergradation between _hudsonicus streatori_
and _h. richardsoni_ takes place over much of northeastern
Washington.
[Illustration: FIG. 90. Distribution of the red squirrel and Douglas
squirrel in Washington. A. _Tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni._ B.
_Tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori._ C. _Tamiasciurus douglasii
douglasii._]
=Tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni= (Bachman)
_Sciurus richardsoni_ Bachman, Proc. Zoöl. Soc. London, p. 100,
1838.
_Sciurus hudsonius Richardsoni_ True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,
7:595, 1884.
_Sciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat.
Hist., 10:265, July 22, 1898.
_Sciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull.,
128:211, April 29, 1924.
_Tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni_ Svihla and Svihla, Murrelet,
21:55, December 20, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained at the head of the Big Lost River, Custer
County, Idaho.
_Racial characters._--Color paler, especially on back.
_Measurements._--Four males and 4 females average, respectively:
total length 339, 339; length of tail 133, 131; hind foot 54, 51;
ear 24, 24; weight 256, 266.
_Distribution._--The Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington.
=Tamiasciurus douglasii douglasii= (Bachman)
Douglas squirrel
_Sciurus douglasii_ Bachman, Proc. Zoöl. Soc. London, p. 99,
1838.
_Sciurus hudsonius Douglasii_ True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus.,
7:595, 1884.
_Sciurus douglasii douglasii_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull.,
128:212, April 29, 1924.
_Sciurus douglasii cascadensis_ Taylor and Shaw, Occ. Papers Chas.
R. Conner Mus., no. 2:18, December, 1929.
_Tamiasciurus douglasii_ Holdenried, Jour. Mamm., 21:406, November
14, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained near the mouth of the Columbia River by David
Douglas.
_Measurements._--Fifteen males and 10 females from the lowlands of
western Washington average, respectively: total length 317, 320;
length of tail 121, 126.7; hind foot 50, 49.4; ear 23.2, 22.6;
weight 204, 202 grams.
_Distribution._--From the eastern base of the Cascade Mountains
westward to the Pacific. Marginal occurrences are: Nooksack River
(Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 18), Lake Wenatchee (W. W. D.) and
Wenatchee (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 18).
_Remarks._--Squirrels from the Puget Sound area are slightly less
intensely colored than specimens from the ocean coast and the Olympic
Mountains. Those from the higher and eastern Cascade Mountains are
paler still. When, however, squirrels from the Cascades of Washington
are compared with individuals of the race inhabiting the Cascades of
Oregon, it is apparent that the Washington squirrels are nearest to
_douglasii_. The pale tips of the hairs in the tail of the Oregon race
are strikingly white while in Washington specimens they are orange or
yellow.