thirteen-lined ground squirrel
(Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)
Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy
Conservation Status |
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| IUCN Red List | LC - Least Concern |
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| NatureServe | N5 - Secure SNR - Unranked |
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| Minnesota | not listed |
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Description |
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Size |
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Sign |
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Similar Species |
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Habitat |
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Grasslands, cultivated fields, meadows, roadsides, shrublands, suburban lawns, pine barrens, and beaches. Sandy or loamy soil. |
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Biology |
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Behavior |
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Lifespan |
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Adults live for a few years. Only about 10% of young reach adulthood. |
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Life Cycle |
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Food |
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Omnivorous. They eat seeds, fruits, grasses, forbs, and insects. |
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Distribution |
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Sources |
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| 11/16/2022 | ||||
Occurrence |
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Common |
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Taxonomy |
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| Class | Mammalia (mammals) | ||
| Subclass | Theria | ||
| Infraclass | Eutheria (placental mammals) | ||
| Magnorder | Boreoeutheria | ||
| Superorder | Euarchontoglires (primates, rodents, and allies) | ||
| Order | Rodentiia (rodents) | ||
| Suborder | Sciuromorpha (squirrel, dormice, abd mountain beavers) | ||
Family |
Sciuridae (squirrels) | ||
Subfamily |
Xerinae (ground and African tree squirrels) | ||
| Tribe | Marmotini (holarctic ground squirrels) | ||
| Genus | Ictidomys (lined ground squirrels) | ||
This species was formerly included in the genus Spermophilus with about 40 other species. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that the genus should be split. In 2009 it genus was split into eight genera. Thirteen-lined ground squirrel is now the only species in the genus Ictidomys. |
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Subordinate Taxa |
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Allen’s 13-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus alleni) Black Hills ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus olivaceous) Blanca thirteen-striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus blanca) Hollister striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus hollisteri) Howell striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus arenicola) pale striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus pallidus) small striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus parvus) Texas striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus texensis) thirteen-striped ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus tridecemlineatus) White-Mtns squirrel ground (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus monticola) |
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Synonyms |
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Spermophilus tridecemlineatus |
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Common Names |
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leopard ground squirrel squinney striped gopher thirteen-lined ground squirrel |
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Visitor Photos |
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Share your photo of this mammal. |
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Kirk Nelson |
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Near the bird feeders outside the Visitors’ Center |
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Lynn Rubey |
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A Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel taking shelter under a slab of granite on the outcropping near a viewing area. In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. |
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Cindy Kuba |
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I've had this ground squirrel in my yard for about 6 weeks or so. He has a hole right out my front door by the steps. I sit and watch him. Adorable |
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Norm & Peg Dibble |
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September 2018, Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel, stopped by to eat peanuts that we throw on our patio for birds and critters. Had never seen one before or since. |
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Christa Rittberg |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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| Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel) Allen Chartier |
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Visitor Videos |
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Share your video of this mammal. |
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Other Videos |
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| Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Sciuridae: Ictidomys/Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) Alarm Call Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jul 21, 2009 "There is only one meaning of life, the act of living itself." --Erich Fromm Photographed at Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (20 July 2009). |
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| Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Sciuridae: Ictidomys/Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) Alert Posture Carl Barrentine |
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About
Uploaded on Jun 25, 2009 Photographed near Mekinock, North Dakota (25 June 2009). |
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| Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) Stoil Ivanov |
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About
Published on Jul 1, 2012 Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) Video taken on 7-01-2012 in Glacial Park McHenry County Illinois . This squirrel is also known as a striped gopher. |
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| Prairie Life: Gourmet Meal Carl Barrentine |
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About
Published on May 19, 2013 This Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys/Spermophilus tridemlineatus) is a finger-licking connoisseur of good subsoil grub. Photographed at Fisher, Minnesota (18 May 2013). |
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Visitor Sightings |
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Report a sighting of this mammal. |
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| This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
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| Kirk Nelson 6/7/2020 |
Location: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge – Long Meadow Lake Unit Near the bird feeders outside the Visitors’ Center |
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| Lynn Rubey 6/19/2020 |
Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge A Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel taking shelter under a slab of granite on the outcropping near a viewing area. In The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County. |
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| Tracy summer 2019 |
Location: St. Michael If they would stop digging holes in our mulch beds & pine tree berms I’d probably think they were cute. |
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| Cindy Kuba 7/24/2019 |
Location: Eau Claire, WI I've had this ground squirrel in my yard for about 6 weeks or so. He has a hole right out my front door by the steps. I sit and watch him. Adorable |
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| Dave 6/17/2019 |
Location: Biwabik MN |
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| Norm & Peg Dibble September 2018 |
Location: Maple Grove, MN Thirteen Lined Ground Squirrel, stopped by to eat peanuts that we throw on our patio for birds and critters. Had never seen one before or since. |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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