364 Urocitellus townsendiiApril. U. townsendii is primarily herbivorous but will con-
sume insects. Its diet includes shoots, leaves, fl owers, and
the seeds of grasses, forbs, and shrubs; these squirrels of-
ten also feed on crops. Their principal predators are bad-
gers (Ta x ide a ta x u s); others probably are coyotes (Canis la-
trans), raptors, and Northern Ravens (Corvus corax). U.
townsendii is considered a pest and is poisoned or shot in
many areas of its range.
general references: O’Hare et al. 2006; Rickart 1999.
Urocitellus undulatus (Pallas, 1778)
Long-Tailed Ground Squirrel
description: T he dorsu m i s s t raw yel low to r usse t to o ch re,
with white to grayish spots; it is often suff used with gray. The
head is generally darker brown on top; the cheeks and the
lower jaw are straw yellow. The sides are reddish. The venter
is straw yellow to orange to rust. The tail is grizzled gray to
black on the upper side, with a frosting of white near the tip;
the underside of the tail is rust colored near the base.
size: Both sexes—HB 210–315 mm; T 100–140 mm; Mass 250–
580 g.
distribution: U. undulatus is found in eastern Kazakhstan,
southern Siberia and Transbaikal (Russia), northern Mongo-
lia, and Xinjiang and Heilongjiang (China). Another popula-
tion is found in Yakutia (= Sakha) in northeastern Siberia
(Russia).geographic variation: Six subspecies are recognized.U. u. undulatus—western and southwestern Transbaikal re-
gion (Russia).
U. u. eversmanni—Altai Mountains (Kazakhstan, Russia, Mon-
golia, and China). This subspecies is smallish but brightly
colored, with intense rust and orange tones.
U. u. jacutensis—far northeast isolates of the distribution (Si-
beria). This subspecies is large and pale.
U. u. menzbieri—eastern portion of the species’ range, along
the Amur River from Russia into China. This is the larg-
est of the subspecies and very pale.
U. u. stramineus—southwestern part of the species’ range,
including western Mongolia, northwestern China, and
eastern Kazakhstan. This form is extremely pale, with
the underparts a light orange yellow.
U. u. transbaikalicus—eastern Transbaikal region (Russia).
This form is intermediate to extreme in size. The head is
colored a bright cinnamon buff y clay.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—stable.habitat: Long-tailed ground squirrels inhabit semidesert,
grass, and mountain steppes; alpine meadows; savannas;
and the areas along rivers.Urocitellus undulatus. Photo courtesy Andrey Tchabovsky.