Callospermophilus saturatus 259white line on both the top and the bottom. The eye ring is
pinkish buff. The chin is often white to buff ; the cheeks are
straw yellow to russet; the facial stripes that are character-
istic of chipmunks (Tamia s) are absent. The feet and venter
are buff to straw yellow. The tail has a dark grizzled upper
side and a buff to straw yellow to ochraceous underside.
size: Female—HB 300 mm (286–312 mm); T 106.5 mm (92–
116 mm).
Male—HB 305 mm (287–315 mm); T 110.9 mm (100–
118 mm).
Both sexes—Mass 200–350 g.
distribution: C. saturatus is found in the Cascade Moun-
tains of southwestern British Columbia (Canada) and west-
ern Washington (USA).
geographic variation: None.
conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—stable.
habitat: Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrels can be
found in talus, montane meadows, forest clearings, sage-
brush steppes, krummholz, open pine forests, and closed
subalpine and alpine forests.
natural history: This species is diurnal. Golden-man-
tled ground squirrels hibernate in burrows for eight to nine
months, with adults emerging as early as April or May, fol-
lowed by yearlings one to two weeks later. Mating occurs
soon after emergence and extends for two weeks; yearling
females breed, but typically not yearling males, which delay
breeding until their third year. After a gestation of 28 days,
the year’s only litter, averaging four (range = 1–5) young, is
born in a burrow. The young emerge in about 36 days from
their natal burrows, appearing through July and early Au-
gust. Natal dispersal is not sex biased; juvenile males move
an average of 182 m, and females average 158 m, after leaving
their natal areas. Adults and yearlings live solitarily, as this
is a relatively asocial ground squirrel. Adults and yearlings
immerge to hibernate in mid-August to late September; ju-
veniles remain aboveground into November and early De-
cember. Burrows are used for escape, nesting, and hiber-
nation. Burrow entrances typically are placed near objects
such as rocks, boulders, shrubs, or trees; multiple tunnels
descend to a plant-lined nest chamber. Their diet is rich in
fungi (especially during the fall), as well as the shoots,
leaves, fruits, and the seeds of a variety of grasses, forbs,
shrubs, and trees; these squirrels will also eat insects and
scavenge carrion. They generally forage on the ground, but
they will (rarely) climb into bushes and conifers for food or
cover. Their major predators include mustelids, canids, fe-
lids, and raptors. The alarm call of C. saturatus is a multinote
trill call, with a high note followed by a rapid series of lower
notes, but it also has components in the ultrasonic range.
Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrels are not hunted or
trapped, but they are often welcome (or unwelcome) guests
in picnic areas and by cabins.general references: Cheng and Leung 1997; Eiler and
Banack 2004; Trombulak 1987, 1988.Callospermophilus saturatus. Photo courtesy Takeo Kawamichi.