California Ground Squirrel
(Spermophilus beecheyi)

The Definitive Guide to Ground Squirrel Control and Where to Find a
Wildlife Control Professional!

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Identification

California Ground Squirrel
(Otospermophilus beecheyi)

Named for Frederick William Beechey, who explored much of Northern California in 1826-28 as captain of His Majesty's Ship Blossom, this squirrel is also sometimes called the Beechey Ground Squirrel.

Gray, light brown and dusky fur are mixed to give the California Ground Squirrel's upperparts a mottled appearance. A band of slightly darker fur, flecked with light gray, extends from the head over the middle of the back. Gray fur forms a cape over the sides of the head and shoulders. This gray cape may have a protective function, breaking up the animal's body outline and making it more difficult for a predator to spot. Light buff or grayish yellow fur covers the undersides.

Whitish fur rings the eyes and perhaps protects the squirrel's eyes from too intense sunlight. Black fur edges the outer rims of the ears. The tail, five to seven inches long and more than half the length of the head and body, is covered with mixed yellowish gray and black hairs and is lighter on the underside. Generally, California Ground Squirrels measure between sixteen and nineteen inches total length.

California Ground Squirrels live in burrows. Hillsides or low earth banks are preferred sites because the burrows can be excavated horizontally, although many burrows are dug down vertically several feet to assure protection. Burrows, which are about four or five inches in diameter, may vary in length from five feet to more than thirty-five feet and may be used by many generations of ground squirrels. Some burrows house single squirrel occupants, while others may be colonial homes for several squirrels. Short burrows many have a single opening, but longer branched burrows often have two or more openings. In studying California Ground Squirrels, one group of scientists found a squirrel home with six females and five males which consisted of tunnels totaling 741 feet in length and had thrity-three openings. The deepest tunnel was twenty-eight feet below ground. Although most tunnel excavation work is done in the spring, digging and burrow improvement is a continuing process.

Eastern chipmunk
(Tamias striatus)

The eastern chipmunk is two to five ounces in weight and eight to 12 inches in total length. Eastern chipmunks have conspicuous light and dark stripes on the back, sides, and cheeks. The fur on the upperparts is reddish-brown with rust color on rump and flanks. The belly and sides are buff to white. The ears are rounded and erect. The tail is covered with fur but is not bushy and is somewhat flattened. Chipmunks have internal cheek pouches that are used to transport food or excavated soil. The chipmunk does not hibernate. Because they have limited digging ability, they often "burrow" under rocks, logs, or buildings.

The eastern chipmunk can be found in southeastern Canada and most of the northeastern United States south to Mississippi and Virginia and west to North Dakota and Oklahoma.

The eastern chipmunk lives in open deciduous forests and at the edges of woodlands. It can also be found in bushy areas and in rocky areas like walls near houses and other buildings.

Thirteen-lined ground squirrel
(Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is slender with large eyes and small ears. They have yellowish fur and 13 prominent alternating light and dark stripes on the back and sides. The light stripes are yellow to white, and the dark ones are black to reddish-brown with lighter spots. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel hibernates in winter. In the fall before hibernation, thirteen-lined ground squirrels weigh eight to nine ounces and are much larger than a chipmunk. However, by spring when the squirrels come out of hibernation they weigh only four to five ounces.

Franklin's ground squirrel
(Spermophilus franklinii)

The Franklin's ground squirrel is a little larger than the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, weighing one to one and a half pounds in the fall before hibernation. Franklin's ground squirrels resemble gray squirrels but have a shorter, less bushy tail and smaller ears. They have brownish-gray fur speckled with black and the underparts vary from yellowish-white to gray or buff. The Franklin's ground squirrel is listed as a state threatened species in Illinois.

Also known as: Gray Gopher, Gray Ground Squirrel, Bush Gopher, Whistling Squirrel

Range

California Ground Squirrel range from central Washington through western Oregon, California and into the northern part of Baja California, this squirrel is found in plains, small meadows, tree-covered hillsides, rocky outcrops and granite taluses. The northern extent of its range was once bounded by the Columbia River, but the California Ground Squirrel has crossed the river into south-central Washington.

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is a grassland animal. Its original range was limited to the prairies of the North American Great Plains. When Europeans arrived and started clearing forests and establishing pastures, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel was quick to extend its range into the new habitat. Today, it ranges from central Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan in the north to Texas and New Mexico in the south, and from central Ohio in the east to Colorado in the west. The forests of the Appalachian Highlands and the Rocky Mountains have halted their east/west range expansion. There are a few colonies in Venango County, Pennsylvania, the result of introductions made in 1919.

The eastern chipmunk can be found in southeastern Canada and most of the northeastern United States south to Mississippi and Virginia and west to North Dakota and Oklahoma. The eastern chipmunk lives in open deciduous forests and at the edges of woodlands. It can also be found in bushy areas and in rocky areas like walls near houses and other buildings.

The Franklin's ground squirrel range is the north central United States, including the northern two-thirds of Illinois, and south-central Canada. The Franklin’s ground squirrel is listed as endangered in Indiana, imperiled in Wisconsin, and rare in Iowa. It is not listed in Illinois.

Damage Caused by Ground Squirrels

High populations of ground squirrels may pose a serious pest problem. The squirrels compete with livestock for forage; destroy food crops, golf courses, and lawns; and can be reservoirs for diseases such as plague. Their burrow systems have been known to weaken and collapse ditch banks and canals, undermine foundations, and alter irrigation systems. The mounds of soil excavated from their burrows not only cover and kill vegetation, but damage haying machinery. In addition, some ground squirrels prey on the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds or climb trees in the spring to feed on new shoots and buds in orchards.

Control Methods

The most effective method of ground squirrel control will depend on the situation and on the temperament of the people involved. Wooden-base rat-sized snap traps, live traps, or gas cartridges may be the best methods for eliminating one or two animals from a garden. Burrow fumigation may be the best method in truck gardens, or in and around parks, athletic fields, and cemeteries where the use of traps or poison could pose a hazard to people, pets, and nontarget wildlife. In orchards, vineyards and noncrop areas zinc phosphide treated baits may be most economical.

Contact a Wildlife Professional for information on the best method of Control for your area.