California Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi)Species Code: SPBEE Origin of the Name. Ground squirrels are the only Arctic animals that hibernate. The body temperature drops to just above freezing and the heartbeat slows down during hibernation. Interesting Facts: Tree squirrels have bushy tails. It weighs only 6 or 7 ounces (170-200 g). The round-tailed ground squirrel is light beige colored with a long, black tipped tail. Conservation Status: Least Concern Burrows are used for hiding, resting, rearing young and storing food. Adaptations are physical features that help an animal survive the conditions of its environment. Their fur contains a mixture of gray, light brown and dusky hairs; the underside is lighter, buff or grayish yellow. Using those amino acids, the ground squirrels may be able to synthesize protein in tissues such as lungs and kidneys, and skeletal muscle. Scientific name: Urocitellus parryii Other Name(s): parka squirrel Type of Animal: Mammal, Rodent Animal Family: Sciuridae (the squirrel family) Where Found: Arctic regions of North America and Russia Average Length: 33.2 to 49.5 cm (13.1 to 19.5 in) Weight: 524 to 1500 g (1.2 to 3.3 lb.) As the ground squirrels’ muscles slowly broke down in temperatures just above freezing, researchers found that the animals were able to convert the free nitrogen they were creating into amino acids. They line the burrows with lichens, leaves and musk ox hair, then roll up into a ball and sleep for seven months. Adaptations - Ground squirrels have cheek pouches in which they carry food to store in their burrows. https://www.livescience.com/48643-arctic-squirrels-share-circadian-secrets.html For hibernating, too, in areas where winter is severe. The fur around their eyes is … Squirrels … Ground squirrels have a non-bushy tail. GROUND SQUIRRELS often live communally in complex burrows 2 – 4 ft. deep and up to 30+ ft. long, with each individual typically having a separate entrance. Arctic Ground Squirrel Facts At A Glance. In the Kalahari, they prefer habitats with harder substrates to make their burrows, avoiding areas of soft sand. Squirrels adapt to their habitat by using their thick fur to keep warm, hiding in their nests for warmth, storing food and using their intelligence. The most evident being their long bushy tail. Squirrels can survive in many environments, though they do best in wooded areas. Biotic evolution and palaeogeography during the Quaternary with special reference to ground squirrels Lilia Popova a, Lutz Christian Maul b and Piroska Pazonyi c aI.I. Flying squirrels (who cannot really fly, but can glide up to 150 feet using a flap of skin. California ground squirrels are common and easily observed ground squirrels of the western United States and the Baja California Peninsula. 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