Species MammalsWyoming Ground Squirrel

Wyoming Ground Squirrel

Urocitellus elegans

CommonMammal
Illustration of Wyoming Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus elegans)

The Wyoming Ground Squirrel is a tan, lightly spotted colonial ground squirrel of the northern Great Basin and Wyoming plains. It emerges from hibernation in late February—among the earliest of western ground squirrels—and completes its entire active season in just four months. Its early activity makes it a critical spring prey source for ferruginous hawks and prairie falcons.

Habitat
Sagebrush grasslands and meadows of Wyoming and the Great Basin
Diet
Grasses, forbs, seeds, and insects
How common
Common

Best time to see a Wyoming Ground Squirrel

The best time to see a Wyoming Ground Squirrel is May–July, when about 72% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 1,515 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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