Squirrels of the World

308 Spermophilus musicus

conservation: IUCN status—near threatened. Population
trend—no information.

habitat: Caucasian Mountain ground squirrels occupy
moist or xerophytic alpine meadows, pastures, grass steppes,
and cereal-grain fi elds.

natural history: This species is diurnal. Caucasian
Mountain ground squirrels hibernate in burrows, begin-
ning in late August and September for adults, and September
or October for juveniles; emergence occurs from March to
May depending on the elevation. Individuals mate soon af-
ter emergence; after a 22–day gestation, a litter of two to four
young is born in the burrow. Burrows typically have short
main passages with a single nest chamber, less than 0.5 m
deep, under a rock or shrub. Complex burrows with long
bifurcating tunnels, several nest chambers, and multiple ex-
its may be used for maternity or hibernation. This species
feeds on shoots, fl owers, seeds, leaves, and the bulbs of
forbs and grasses, rarely consuming animal matter. Over-
winter mortality averages about 40 percent. Foxes, domestic
dogs, mustelids, and raptors are their principal predators.
The major threat to their conservation is the conversion of
alpine meadows for grazing. S. musicus is occasionally
hunted for food or pelts, and it can be a localized pest in
grain fi elds; however, the greatest impact of this species is
as a carrier of sylvatic (bubonic) plague.

general references: Emelianov 1983; Emelianov et al.
1982; Ermakov, Titov, et al. 2006; Helgen et al. 2009; Ni-
kol’skii et al. 2007; Tkachenko et al. 1985; Trufanov and Go-
lu bev 1982.

Spermophilus pallidicauda (Satunin, 1903)

Pallid Ground Squirrel

description: Pallid ground squirrels have a pale dorsum

that is pinkish buff to straw-colored. The eyelids are white.

A reddish brown spot below the eye is connected to the rus-

set snout and the back of the neck by a faint white to buff

line. The feet and limbs are white to buff. The venter is

white to buff. The tail is white to straw yellow, with a rusty

core through the distal portion.

size: Sex not stated—HB 198–233 mm; T 35–53 mm.

distribution: This species is endemic to Mongolia and ad-

jacent eastern Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia (northern China).

geographic variation: None.

conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population

trend—no information.

habitat: Pallid ground squirrels inhabit the steppes and

grasslands of the Gobi Desert.

natural history: S. pallidicauda is diurnal. Pallid ground

squirrels live in large colonies of varying densities. They are

extremely shy and quickly return to their burrows when

Spermophilus musicus. Photo courtesy Mikhail Golubev.

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