The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Fish and Wildlife Division recently launched a new “Window On Wildlife” outdoor camera that captures live wildlife and activity for public viewing and streaming on the DNR website. The first observational opportunity was for chicken ducks that hatched and later hatched eggs in nest boxes. The month-long spectacle was a huge success.
This month, the camera was moved to a reservoir in Grant County, where the camera captured a beautiful sunrise and waterfowl activity. Check it out at dnr.state.mn.us/wildlife/window-wildlife.
Following the camera’s Wood Duck location, DNR staff had planned to move the camera to a colony of Richardson’s ground squirrels in Polk County, but the population either moved elsewhere or was mostly extinct. Plans changed when it was discovered that
Reasons for the latter are speculative, but could include reduced food availability due to drought last year, land flooding or disease last spring, or a combination of these factors. Hopefully the population recovers or recovers and the cameras can move there next summer.
The Richardson’s ground squirrel is a species of ground squirrel with colonial habits similar to prairie dogs. No other Minnesota native ground squirrel has a lifestyle as social as that enjoyed by Richardson’s ground squirrel. whereas the Richardson ground squirrel occupies an open landscape.
The Richardson ground squirrel, which belongs to the squirrel family, is named after the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson, but is further classified as ground squirrel. Most of their life spans in networks of underground burrows.
In addition, Richardson ground squirrels are true hibernators. In fact, all ground squirrels go into a very deep state of hibernation inside their cozy and warm underground bedrooms. Other ground squirrels include chipmunks, 13-wire ground squirrels, and woodchucks.
Surprisingly, the hottest part of summer is when adult Richardson’s ground squirrels prepare for hibernation. Adult males “dive” first, followed by females in late July or early August. Young birds hibernate last, usually he is in mid to late September.
The Richardson’s ground squirrel is fairly “puffy” in appearance, but is about the same size as the red squirrel in overall length (just over 8 inches from snout to tip of short, small tail). Given the mammal’s greyish-yellow coloration, it’s no wonder people compare Richardson’s ground squirrels to prairie dogs.
Richardson’s ground squirrel’s combined physical characteristics and communal behavior make it so similar to a prairie dog that it’s easy to see why the two species should be compared. In fact, Richardson’s ground squirrel colony looks a lot like a prairie dog town in both social dynamics and appearance.
Distributed throughout the western edge of Minnesota, including the Red River Valley, the Richardson’s ground squirrel is well adapted to the grasslands and croplands of the northern Great Plains of western Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and other western states. A type of ground squirrel. that too.
The tendency of small rodents to be wary of burrow entrances is certainly a pleasing sight and well worth a visit.
Richardson’s ground squirrels are charming little rodents of the prairies. Despite being remarkably well adapted to life in the windswept and harsh environments of dry prairie habitats, these mammals are just as sensitive to habitat loss as other species.
However, with prairie grassland habitats declining much like the western landscape of Minnesota, it is important to maintain and protect the few remaining Richardson ground squirrel populations and their preferred habitats. . Maybe next summer at Window On Wildlife we’ll be able to get out and see these special animals while enjoying the great outdoors.
Blane Klemek is a wildlife manager for the Minnesota DNR.he can be reached at
bklemek@yahoo.com.
