# Common Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

*Callospermophilus lateralis*

Often mistaken for chipmunks, they can be easily distinguished because they lack the black and white stripes across their faces.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Rodentia › Sciuridae › Callospermophilus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** forest
- **Habitat:** Coniferous forests, rocky slopes, subalpine meadows, and shrublands.
- **Diet:** Omnivorous; feeds on pine seeds, acorns, berries, fungi, insects, and occasionally small bird eggs or carrion.
- **Range:** Western United States, Western Canada, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada
- **Size:** 23 to 30 cm in length; 120 to 390 grams in weight
- **Lifespan:** 3 to 7 years in the wild
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, climate change affecting alpine snowpack/hibernation cycles, and localized pest control measures.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless but defensive if cornered or handled. Maintain a respectful distance and do not feed them, as human food is harmful and they can bite. They may also carry fleas harboring plague or tick-borne pathogens. If bitten, wash the wound immediately with soap and water and seek medical attention.

## About

The golden-mantled ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus lateralis ) is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in British Columbia and Alberta through the western United States to California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/d859bf5f-28cc-40d7-a454-47aba2f400be
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/180010
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callospermophilus lateralis
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/4859897/medium.jpg (Judy Gallagher, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.