Squirrels of the World

Spermophilus pygmaeus 309

threatened. The greatest challenge to this species’ conserva-
tion is likely to be overgrazing in the semiarid to arid grass-
lands they inhabit. They are also occasionally hunted for
food and pelts. Little is known about S. pallidicauda, which
has recently been elevated from its former status as a sub-
species of S. erythrogenys.

general references: G. M. Allen 1940; A. T. Smith and
Xie 2008; Tsvirka, Chelomina et al. 2006.

Spermophilus pygmaeus (Pallas, 1778)

Little Ground Squirrel

description: The dorsum varies from a pale gray, suff used
with straw yellow, to a brownish gray. The faint dorsal
spots may be greatly reduced or even absent. The head is
often brighter than the dorsum, with a reddish spot above
the eye. The sides are a pale straw yellow suff used with
gray. The feet are white to straw yellow. The tail varies
greatly, from white to buff to brown to charcoal.

size: Sex not stated—HB 175–260 mm; T 25–50 mm.

distribution: This species is found in southeastern
Ukraine (including the Crimean peninsula) through the
southern Ural Mountains (Russia) and Kazakhstan.

geographic variation: Four subspecies are recognized.

S. p. pygmaeus—lower Volga River and the Ural Mountains
(Russia). See description above.
S. p. brauneri—Crimean peninsula (Ukraine). This subspe-
cies is pale in color; the dark tail has a rufous cast.

S. p. herbicolus—central portion of the range. This form

tends to have rust on the head and tail.

S. p. mugosaricus—eastern portion of the range, including

Kazakhstan. This subspecies is paler, with cinnamon to

ochraceous spotting.

conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population

trend—decreasing.

habitat: Little ground squirrels are found in sparsely veg-

etated arid and semiarid grasslands.

natural history: This species is diurnal. S. pygmaeus hi-

bernates in burrows for fi ve to eight months a year. Males

emerge fi rst in the spring, often in March or April, followed

by the females. Males actively pursue females and attempt to

repel other interested males. Gestation is 25 to 26 days. Litter

sizes typically average six to eight off spring, which are born

underground. Due to their hot arid environments, individuals

may enter torpor in the heat of June and July, and then re-

emerge or transition from torpor to hibernation. Males are

the fi rst to immerge, in August. Short shallow burrows with-

out nest chambers are used for escape; longer and more con-

voluted burrows, which may reach 1 m in depth and have one

or more nest chambers, are used for maternity and hiber-

nation. These squirrels live in colonies with intrasexual ter-

ritoriality, where females have small territories that are de-

fended from other females, and males have large territories

that overlap those of several females. S. pygmaeus feeds on a

variety of plant tissues, including leaves, shoots, and seeds, as

Spermophilus pallidicauda. Photo courtesy Oleg Brandler.