7 August 2014

RFI Richardson’s Ground Squirrel

I will be in the NW USA at the end of this month and will be driving from Spokane to Glacier NP, then down to Salt Lake City. Can anyone recommend good sites for Richardson’s Ground Squirrel along the way (or with as small a detour as possible)? also, does anyone know whether the Long-tailed Weasel Den at Glacier – which used to be along a trail there – is still active?

thanks

Jon

Post Views: 949

13 Comments

  • 7 August 2014
    John Fox

    Kays and Wilson’s range map says you are out of luck. A dash east on Rt 2, a beguiling road IMHO, is required. But it’s actually a two day trip, don’t speed through the Indian areas. Try not to run over the squirrels when you get there. They are known for being cannibalistic, their suicidal tendencies are less well reported, LOL.

  • 7 August 2014
    vdinets

    Its range has expanded a bit recently, so it can be occasionally seen in Glacier NP, mostly along the eastern border. Other locations in Montana that I know of are Bowdoin NWR, Missouri Headwaters SP and Medicine Lake NWR. I don’t have access to any maps at the moment, sorry.

  • 8 August 2014
    John Fox

    Well, Glacier and western Montana are lousy with Columbia GS. V might have some insight beyond mine, but….good luck figuring them out except by range. Medicine Lake NWR is good, but further east than you need to go. I didn’t look up the other places he mentioned.

    My trip report about Swift Fox has my details.

    • 8 August 2014
      vdinets

      Richardson’s has shorter tail and much duller coloration. It also has yellow collar or semi-collar and b&w tail tip. Columbia has grey-and-creamy tail tip and a white line along the side of the neck.

  • 8 August 2014
    vnsankar123

    Just looking at range maps, you might be best off for Richardson’s GS if you head north into the prairies towards Lethbridge into Canada. I saw them very near Calgary, but that might be a bit too far for you…

  • 8 August 2014
    Jon Hall

    Dear all – thanks a lot. Very helpful. Sounds like Missouri Headwaters SP would be the smallest detour (its near Bozeman so more or less en route between Glacier NP and Fossil Butte in Wyoming), and there is also a population at Red Rocks Lakes nearby

    Jon

    • 8 August 2014
      mattinidaho

      Jon,
      Red Rocks Lakes would have Uinta and Wyoming GS, but not Richardson’s. Wyoming GS was split from Richardson’s, but many refuges and reserves still are referring to mammal studies conducted prior to the split. The ones at Red Rock would be Wyoming GS. Same with Fossil Butte — all the signs and web site call the ground squirrels there “Richardson’s” but they are actually Wyoming GS.

      • 8 August 2014
        Jon Hall

        Thanks Matt – good job you let me know or I’d have been pissed in a month! After studying the range maps on the IUCN it looks like that whole area around Bozeman is a mine field of different species… so perhaps I might be better taking a detour north of Shelby MT where the only species in range appears to be Richardon’s…

  • 8 August 2014
    cmh78

    I was in Glacier last fall, and the weasel den that I saw years ago was not active. I’m not sure if that is the one you mean or not. I saw two weasels at different sites in western PA a couple weeks ago. You might walk small streams at night closer to home and have some luck.

  • 8 August 2014
    John Fox

    Bit of an edit, it is not necessarily a two day trip to get into Richardon’s GS range, I was in no hurry when I was there. Though I know you’d do the research yourself.

    Also, a NJ Audubon trip to Glacier last July had a Wolverine run across the field right in front of them. The ground was still covered in snow so it must have been high up. My friend who was on the trip put up her pictures and just said “we saw a marmot and a chipmunk and a wolverine” {eye roll}. It’s a good data point, though.

Leave a Reply