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On the Population Ecology of Uinta Ground Squirrels Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1970 On the Population Ecology of Uinta Ground Squirrels Spencer R. Amend Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Animal Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Amend, Spencer R., "On the Population Ecology of Uinta Ground Squirrels" (1970). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 4799. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4799 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT On the Population Ecology of Uinta Ground Squirrels by Spencer R. Amend, Master of Science Utah State University, 1970 Major Professor: Dr. David F. Balph Department: Wildlife Resources A marked population of Spermophilus armatus averaging 529 individuals per year was studied for two and a half seasons on a 22-acre tract in northern Utah. The average date of emergence from hibernation of the first squirrel was 9 April. Mating occurred as soon as animals emerged from hibernation. The average date of appearance of the first litter was 31 May. Emergence sizes of litters were from 5 .2 for yearling females to 6.3 for adult females. Few instanc es of predation were observed . Age and sex ratios varied throughout the season and for different portions of the study area. The population increased 22 percent from 1964-1965 and 15 percent from 1965-1966. Juveniles moved more than adults and males moved more than females. In 1964 and 1965, 90 percent of the squirrels had disappe ared into hibernation by 1 August. Active periods were from 61 days for juvenile males to 97 days for adult males. (70 pages) ON THE POPULATION ECOLOGY OF UINTA GROUND SQUIRRELS by Spencer R. Amend A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Wildlife Biology UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 1970 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to acknowledge the contributions of a number of indivi­ duals who provided help at various stages during the study reported in this thesis. Fellow graduate students Bob Walker and Dick Burns and Dr. Allen W. Stokes assisted with field work as members of the Ground Squirrel Study Team. Dr. David F. Balph provided help through­ out the entire study. I am grateful to the Directorate of the Migratory Bird Popu­ lations Station, Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, and espe­ cially to Mr. Henry M. Reeves, without whose persuasive encourage­ ment during the later stages of preparation, this report might never have been completed. Special thanks go to my wife, Marcene, who helped with field work and provided patient support at all times. ~penc er R. Adiend iii TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRODUCTION METHODS 3 Cap turi ng Groun d Squirrels 3 Observin g Ground Squirre l s 5 Scans • Si ghtings 8 Collectin g Grou nd Squi rr el s 8 RESULTS 9 Seasona l Cycle 9 Emer ge nc e f r om hibe rn atio n 9 Reproduction 9 Onset of hibern ation 15 Populati on Structure 19 Density 20 Age compositi on 20 Se x ratios 31 Natality 40 Litter size 40 Production 42 Mortality 42 Life table analyses 42 Sourc es of mortality. 47 iv Movement • 48 Chan ges in loc ation 49 Ingre ss and egress 49 Movements wi thin the Station 49 Excursions 51 DISCUSSION • 52 Methods of Life Table Construction 52 Juvenil e Di sappearance 53 Populat ion Turnover 54 Variation in Age and Sex Ratios 54 Density a nd Ground Squirrel Population Ecology 55 SUMMARY • 56 CONCLUSIONS 58 LITERATURE CITED 59 VITA. 62 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Direct observations of marked ground squirrels by age and sex, 1965 • 10 2. Extensions of season lengths by direct obse rvation s, 1965 11 3. Success of ground squirrel capture program as indicated by sightings of marked squirrels, 1965 12 4. Dates of emergence from hibernation, disappearance dates and lengths of aboveground active seasons by age and sex 13 5. Weights of ground squirrels at emergence from hibernation, 1965 and 1966 14 6. Overt reproductive condition of male Uinta ground squirrels as indicated by enlargement of testes, 1965 16 7. Overt reproductive condition of female Uinta ground squir- rels as indicated by nipple condition, 1965 18 8 . Age and sex composition of th e ground squirrel population, 1964 and 1965 21 9. Observed density on representative areas throughout the season, 1965 • 23 10. Observed density on representative areas throughout the day, 1965 • 25 11. Observed age ratios (yearlings per adult female) on repre- sentative areas throughout the season , 1965 27 12. Observed age ratios (juveniles per yearling and adult female) on representative areas throughout the season, 1965 28 13. Observed age ratios (ye a rling s per adult female) on repre- sentative areas throu ghout the day , 1965 32 14. Observed age ratios (juveniles per adult and yearling female) on representative areas throu gho ut the day, 1965 33 15 . Obse rved sex ratios on r ep resent a tive a r eas, 1965 35 16. Actu a l and obse r ved sex ratios of adul t, yearling and juvenile ground squirrels, 1965 37 vi Table Page 17. Litter sizes of some common ground squirrels of the ge nus Spermopl1ilus 41 18 . Dynamic life tables fo r gro un d squi rr el s born in 1964 43 19. Time-specific life tab l es for ground squir r els present in 196 5 44 20 . Composite lif e tables for ground s quirr e l s present durin g 1964-1 966 46 21. Changes in l ocat ion by ground sq uirrel s , 1964 and 1965 50 vii LIST OF FIGURES Fi g ur e Page 1. Map of Ut ah State Unive r s ity Forestry Field Station, s how­ in g loc atio ns of gr ound s quirr el observation tower s • 2. Breedin g condit ion of Uinta grou nd squirrels throu gho ut the season, as indicated by e nl a r geme nt of t es t es and v i s ible nipples, 1965 17 3. Observ e d and actual density of Uinta ground squirrels throughout the season, 1965 22 4. Obse rv ed density thr ougho ut the day , 1965 26 5 . Obse rved and actual age ratios (yearlings per adult female), 1965 29 6. Observed and actu al age ratio s (juvenil es pe r yearlin g and adult female), 196 5 30 7. Observed age ratios throughout the day, 1965 34 B. Observed a nd actual sex ratios, 1965 . 39 viii ABSTRACT On the Population Ecology of Uinta Ground Squirrels by Spencer R. Amend, Master of Science Utah State University , 1970 Major Professor: Dr. David F. Balph Department: Wildlife Resources A marked population of Spermophilus armatus averaging 529 in dividuals per year was studied for two and a half seasons on a 22 - acre tract in northern Utah . The ave r age date of emerge nce from hib erna ti on of the first squirrel was 9 April. Mating occur r ed as soo n as animals emerged from hibernation . The ave r age date of appea r ance of the first litt er was 31 May. Emergence sizes of l itters were from 5.2 for yearli ng females to 6.3 for adult fema l es . Few instance s of predation were observed. Age and sex r atios varied throughout the seaso n and for different portion s of the study area. The popul ati on increa sed 22 percent from 1964-1965 and 15 percent from 196 5-1966. Juv e niles moved more than adults and males move d more than females. In 1964 and 1965, 90 perc e nt of th e squirrels had disappeared into hibern ation by 1 August. Acti ve periods were from 61 days for juvenile males to 97 days for adult males. (70 pages) ON THE POPULATIONECOLOGY OF UINTA GROUNDSQUIRRELS INTRODUCTION The purp ose of this pap er i s to describe the ecology of a popula­ tion of Uinta groun d squ irr e l s (Spermophilus ar mat us) . Of primary concern is the estab li shment of norms for those population paramete r s which ar e likely to be affected by changes in dens ity. Debat e on th e rol e of density in r eg ul at i on of natur al popula­ tions has been vigo rou s over the past seve r al decades (Nicholson , 1933; Andr ewarth a and Birch, 1954 ; a nd papers by Nicholson , Birch, Andr ewarth a , and Miln e , and r es ultant discuss i ons in the Cold Spring Harbor Symposium, 1957) . More r ece ntly, theo r etica l papers by Hairst on, Smit h, and Slobodkin (1960), Murd och (1966), Ehrlich a nd Birch (1967), and Slobodkin, Smith a nd Hairston (1967) have provided the bas i s fo r co ntinuin g th e discussio ns . Milne (1957) point ed out the need for sufficient field data from which to draw conclusions concerning natur al con tr ol . Stok es and Balph (1965) stated that the pr obl ems ass ociat ed with field stud ie s measuring and expl aining fluctuations in pop ul ati on density are sufficie ntly complex to warrant cooperative s tudy by a gr oup of specialists, includi ng population eco l og i sts, physiologists, and ethologists.
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