Callospermophilus saturatus

Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Sciuromorpha
Family:	Sciuridae
Subfamily:	Xerinae
Tribe:	Marmotini
Genus:	Callospermophilus
Binomial details
Callospermophilus saturatus (Rhoads, 1895)
Other resources
Full taxonomic details at MDD

The Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus) is a ground squirrel that looks like a large chipmunk. It is found in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and in southern British Columbia.

Description

From Trombulak (1988): "stocky body and relatively long hair. The top and sides of the head and shoulders have a poorly-defined russet mantle. The eyes are surrounded by a pinkish-buff ring and the ears are tawny. The remainder of the dorsum is dark gray-brown with a white stripe on each side that runs from shoulder to hip. White stripes are bordered above and below by poorly-defined black stripes (Hall, 1981; Howell, 1938). Tail, feet, and venter are buff colored."

Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus) photographed by Pierce Louderback in Pierce County, Washington.

Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus) photographed by gordgadsden in Okanagan-Similkameen, British Columbia, Canada.

Museum type specimens

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Dorsal view.

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Ventral view.

External measurements

Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.

Part of range	Reference	Total length	Tail length	Hindfoot length	Ear length	Mass
Canada	Naughton (2012)	253–320	89–115	40–53	21–23	162–340
Washington	Trumbulak (1988)	males: 287–315 (n=10); females: 286–312 (n=10)	males: 100–118 (n=10); females: 92–116 (n=10)	males: 44–49 (n=10); females: 43–48 (n=10)	males: 16–18 (n=10); females: 17–18.5 (n=10)

Skull

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Dorsal view of the skull.

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Ventral view of the skull.

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Lateral view of the skull.

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Dorsal view of the mandible.

• 

  Holotype: ANSP 8365. Callospermophilus saturatus. Male. Lake Kichelos (Keechelus Lake), Kittitas County, Washington. Lateral view of the left mandible.

Similar species

Comparison with Callospermophilus lateralis

In general, the colors of Callospermophilus saturatus are more muted and the white stripe is less bright and distinct and the black borders are more diffuse (Naughton, 2012). The ranges of the two species do not overlap.

• 

  Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus) photographed by Pierce Louderback in Pierce County, Washington.

• 

  Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) photographed by Rick Overson on Mount Howard, Oregon.

Comparison with chipmunks (Neotamias, Tamias)

From Naughton (2012): "Chipmunks are smaller and have multiple light stripes that continue onto the head and through the eye. They also carry their tails stiffly vertical when they run."

• 

  Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus) photographed by Pierce Louderback in Pierce County, Washington. Golden-mantled ground squirrels may superficially resemble chipmunks, but they lack light stripes that continue onto the head and through the eye.

• 

  Example of a chipmunk. This species is the Cliff Chipmunk (Neotamias dorsalis), photographed by Rick Overson in the Superstition Mountains of Arizona. Chipmunks have multiple light stripes that continue onto the head and through the eye.

References

Hall ER. 1981. The mammals of North America. 2 vols. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Hoffmeister DF. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. Tucson (AZ, USA): University of Arizona Press.

Howell AH. 1938. Revision of the North American ground squirrels with a classification of North American Sciuridae. North American Fauna 56:1-256.

Naughton D. 2012. The natural history of Canadian mammals. Toronto (ON, CA): University of Toronto Press.

Trombulak SC. 1988. Spermophilus saturatus. Mammalian Species (322):1-4. https://doi.org/10.2307/3504256