Southern Idaho ground squirrels are very similar to their northern cousin, the Northern Idaho ground squirrel. Both are grayish-brown and have striped tails, although Southerns have paler fur, which may be due to the fact that they dwell in sandy, light-colored soils and rangeland vegetation. They also have cheek pouches, which they use to carry nuts back to their dens. The squirrels spend a good portion of their lives underground. They emerge from hibernation early in the year, have an active feeding and breeding season above ground, and then return to their burrows in early summer. 

Southern Idaho ground squirrel     

Habitat: Their population is limited to the Weiser River Basin in southwest Idaho, where the landscape features rolling hills, basins, and flats at an altitude of between 2,200-3,200 feet. 

Food: Southern Idaho ground squirrels eat seeds, leaves, and vegetation. They must constantly collect and eat food to store up fat to sustain them through long winters.

Facts: The ground squirrel population in southern Idaho has declined dramatically over the past 30 years. The small mammal’s habitat is threatened by the encroachment of medusahead, an invasive weed that is spreading rapidly because of increasingly frequent fires.