University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center Wildlife Damage for July 1994 Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels Edward C. Cleary USDA-APHIS-Animal Damage Control, Sandusky, OH Scott R. Craven University of Wisconsin, Madison Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons Cleary, Edward C. and Craven, Scott R., "Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrels" (1994). The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. 24. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmhandbook/24 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Wildlife Damage Management, Internet Center for at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Handbook: Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Edward C. Cleary Associate State Director USDA-APHIS- THIRTEEN-LINED Animal Damage Control Sandusky, Ohio 44870 GROUND SQUIRRELS Scott R. Craven Extension Wildlife Specialist Department of Wildlife Ecology University of Wisconsin, Madison Madison, Wisconsin 53706 Fig. 1. Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (formerly Citellus spp.) Damage Prevention and Toxicants Identification Control Method Zinc phosphide. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel Fumigants Exclusion (Fig. 1) is a slender rat-sized rodent Aluminum phosphide. weighing about 8 ounces (227 g) with a Buried galvanized hardware cloth is length of about 10 inches (25 cm) in- effective, but very expensive. Gas cartridges. cluding a tail of 3 inches (8 cm). As its Cultural Methods Trapping name implies, 13 stripes run the length of this ground squirrel’s body. Five of Destroy burrows and habitat by deep Live traps. the light-colored lines break up into a soil tillage. Glue boards. series of spots as they progress down Allow growth of tall rank vegetation. the back and over the rump. Five light Wooden-base rat-sized snap traps. and four dark stripes extend along the Plant as early as conditions permit Leghold and body-gripping traps. top of the head and end between the before squirrels emerge from animal’s eyes. The cheeks, sides of the hibernation. Snares. body, and legs are yellowish, tan, or Provide alternative foods in minimum- Shooting tan with an orange cast. The chest and belly are thinly covered with light tan tillage fields. Effective if persistent. fur. Each front foot has four toes with Repellents Other Methods long slender digging claws. There are five toes on each hind foot. None are registered. Burrow flooding. PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WILDLIFE DAMAGE — 1994 Cooperative Extension Division Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Nebraska - Lincoln United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Animal Damage Control B-165 Great Plains Agricultural Council Wildlife Committee Some of the common or colloquial includes seeds, green shoots, flower females. When they hibernate, their names for this species include heads, roots, vegetables, fruits, and body temperature is generally within “thirteen-liners,” “stripers,” “striped cereal grains. They rarely drink water, 3o C of the ambient air temperature. ground squirrels,” “striped gophers,” depending instead on water contained When active, their body temperature and “gophers.” in their food. They cache large quanti- can vary 8 to 10o C, without ill effect. ties of seeds and grass, but never meat. Mating activity begins within 2 weeks The cached food may be eaten during Range after the squirrels emerge from hiber- periods of bad weather or in the late nation. Both sexes are sexually active autumn and early spring when other The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is a for about 2 weeks. After a gestation food is scarce. grassland animal. Its original range period of 28 days, 3 to 14 (average 10) was limited to the prairies of the blind, naked, and toothless young are North American Great Plains. When General Biology, born. Only 1 litter is produced per Europeans arrived and started clearing Reproduction, and year. Young ground squirrels weigh forests and establishing pastures, the about 1/10 ounce (3 to 4 g) at birth. thirteen-lined ground squirrel was Behavior Their stripes begin to appear after quick to extend its range into the new about 12 days and their eyes open 28 habitat. Today, it ranges from central Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are to 30 days after birth. Young squirrels Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan strictly diurnal, coming above ground are weaned and on their own after 6 to in the north to Texas and New Mexico when the sun is high and the earth is 12 weeks. Thirteen-lined ground squir- in the south, and from central Ohio in warm, and returning to the warmth rels are sexually mature at 9 or 10 the east to Colorado in the west (Fig. and safety of their burrows long before months of age. 2). The forests of the Appalachian sundown. They rarely venture out of Highlands and the Rocky Mountains the burrow on damp, dark, or overcast have halted their east/west range days. When they venture out, they will Damage and Damage expansion. There are a few colonies in often stand upright, with front paws Identification Venango County, Pennsylvania, the held close to the chest, surveying their result of introductions made in 1919. domain. If danger threatens, they run, The thirteen-lined ground squirrel’s with tail held horizontally, to the near- preference for insects and field mice est burrow. The inconspicuous 2-inch may provide some benefit to the agri- (5-cm) diameter burrow opening is cultural community. Large concentra- often concealed by vegetation and tions of these ground squirrels in rarely has soil scattered in front of it pastures, fields, and gardens can, how- like a woodchuck’s burrow. The main ever, cause loss of forages and crops. entrance plunges down 6 inches (15 They dig up newly planted seeds, clip cm) or more before angling off into a emerging plant shoots, and pull complex system of galleries and side overripening wheat, barley and oats to entranceways. The nesting chamber, eat the grain. They will readily feed on about 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter and commonly grown home or truck gar- lined with fine dry grass, is located den vegetables, often damaging much somewhat deeper than the main bur- more than they consume. row system. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel’s natural enemies include just Thirteen-lined ground squirrels will about all predators, especially hawks, invade golf courses, parks, lawns, Fig. 2. Distribution map for thirteen-lined ground badgers, weasels, foxes, coyotes, bull athletic fields, cemeteries, and similar squirrels. They currently occur in all or part of 22 snakes, and black snakes. wide open grassy sites. Their burrow- states and 3 Canadian prairie provinces. ing and feeding activity can cause Thirteen-lined ground squirrels begin major economic and aesthetic damage Food Habits hibernation in September or early in such places. October and emerge between late March and early May in the northern Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are portions of their range. In southern Legal Status omnivorous. At least 50% of their diet Texas, they have been observed above is animal matter — grasshoppers, ground as late as October 27 and as Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are not wireworms, caterpillars, beetles, cut- early as January. Males usually begin protected by federal law. They are pro- worms, ants, insect eggs, mice, earth- hibernation earlier in the fall and tected by some state and provincial worms, small birds, and each other. emerge earlier in the spring than regulations (Table 1). The vegetative portion of the diet B-166 Table 1. Status of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel in the United States and Pesticides Canada. Before using any pesticide, read and Alberta1 Nebraska1 follow all label directions. Many of the Arizona1 New Mexico1 pesticides used to control thirteen- Arkansas7 North Dakota1 lined ground squirrels are Restricted Colorado1 Ohio1 Use Pesticides that may only be sold to Illinois1 Oklahoma1 and used by certified pesticide applica- Indiana1 Pennsylvania3, 6 tors or persons working under their Iowa3 Saskatchewan1 direct supervision, and only for those Kansas1 South Dakota1 uses covered by the licensed applica- Manitoba1 Texas5 tor’s certification. Some of the pesti- Michigan4 Utah1 cides mentioned may not be registered Minnesota1 Wisconsin1 for every use in all states or provinces. Missouri3 Wyoming2 Contact your local cooperative exten- Montana1 sion agent, USDA-APHIS-ADC, state 1 or provincial pesticide regulatory No restriction on taking or possessing. agency, or state or provincial fish and 2Classed as wildlife, but no restriction on some or all methods of take. 3 wildlife department for information May be taken only with special state permit. regarding special permit requirements 4State permit needed for some methods of take such as poisoning, fumigation. 5 or endangered species restrictions. May be taken only when causing or about to cause damage. Specific use instructions can be found 6State threatened species. 7 on the individual product labels. Only Believed extinct in state. general use comments will be pre- sented here. Check the Pesticides sec- tion in this handbook for sample ground. It may be necessary to install a Damage Prevention and labels. Control cement threshold to keep squirrels