User:Cfs015/Northern Idaho ground squirrel

Description:
The species has sexual dimorphism, with males being normally larger than females. Their weight ranges from 120 to 290 grams, and they are, on average, 233mm in length, though their range is 209mm to 258mm. They have a dark-reddish grey coat with reddish-brown spots. Some of the northern Idaho ground squirrel's qualities include: tan feet and ears, a tail, brownish-grey throat, and a white eye ring.

Behavior:
They hibernate eight months of the year.

The northern Idaho ground squirrel is found in Valley and Adams Counties, Idaho, in about 50 isolated demes (population groups) between 1150 and 2290 m elevation. The squirrel is currently listed as Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Threats include past poisoning and shooting as well as fire suppression that allowed young trees to infill the meadows they inhabit. The most recent numbers from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game suggest a total population of the species of about 2000 individuals. Timber thinning and prescribed fire projects on the Payette National Forest have expanded some populations of northern Idaho ground squirrels.

The northern Idaho ground squirrel has a 8 month hibernation period from August to late April. Their consists of mostly forbs, grasses, shrubs, trees, rushes, and sedges. The squirrels active season is from April to July, and then the species spends the rest of the year hibernating. Within the first two weeks of the active period, the NIDGS starts reproducing. In the mating process, the male individuals protect the sexually receptive females from other potential male mates. The males are kicked out from the burrow after mating with the female. The gestation period of the species is 3.5 weeks. Juveniles do not leave the burrow until weaned. There is about 5 weaned individuals per litter. One female only has one litter per year.

Distribution and Habitat:
notes:

Eric Yensen, Elizabeth J. Dyni "Why is the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel Rare?," Northwest Science, 94(1), 1-23, (22 April 2020)

The habitat of the northern Idaho ground squirrel consists of dry rocky meadows. Ground with deep soil and scattered with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests at the elevation between 915 to 1,650 meters is the preferred habitat of the squirrels.
 * xeric meadows, "scab" meadows- rocks, soil, and short vegetation
 * nests are in soil >100cm deep in the meadows
 * few live in mesic meadows

The habitat of the northern Idaho ground squirrel consists of dry rocky meadows. Ground with deep soil and scattered with ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests at the elevation between 915 to 1,650 meters is the preferred habitat of the squirrels.

During the winter, the NIDGS hibernates in environments with larger coverage compared to the active season habitats. The NIDGS mainly hibernates at a completely different habitat than the active season habitat.

The northern Idaho ground squirrel lives in the Adams and Valley Counties in western-central Idaho. The species used to occupy 1,600km2, but now the species only occupies less than 20km2. Predators of the northern Idaho ground squirrel consist of: badgers, prairie falcons, Cooper's hawk, goshawks, red-tailed hawks, northern harriers, coyotes, and long-tailed weasels.

Conservation:
notes:

Eric Yensen, Elizabeth J. Dyni "Why is the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel Rare?," Northwest Science, 94(1), 1-23, (22 April 2020)


 * it was listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act in 2000
 * Human impact on habitat: loss of habitat because of timber and fire suppression, shooting, invasive species, poisoning, and grazing
 * pre-settlement times the squirrels were in ponderosa pine forests with meadow terrain
 * because of fires set by native americans or lighting the ponderosa pine habitats were burning frequently--> this was helpful for the squirrels because it created more open terrian in the forests
 * in 1910, fire suppression, stopped these fires
 * logging has also resulted in these open forests growing back as thicker forests with no open room for the ground squirrels
 * therefore logging and fire suppression has greatly reduced the habitat of the ground squirrels
 * from 1930-1980- farmers believed that squirrels were pests, so they focused on erradicating all ground squirrels by poison in west-central Idaho
 * the payette national forest also poisoned the squirrels in 1933 and 1942- though they were found not to damage trees
 * poisoning decreased the squirrel population significantly
 * habitat conversion made many habitats unfit for the squirrels (too wet, too thick, etc.)
 * shooting and killing the squirrels also decreased their habitat significantly- it is now illegal to shoot one
 * mostly every habitat has grazing by sheep or cattle- so when the long grasses are planted for grazing- the squirrels move out

Garner, A., Rachlow, J. & Waits, L. Genetic diversity and population divergence in fragmented habitats: Conservation of Idaho ground squirrels. Conserv Genet 6, 759–774 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-005-9035-3


 * population decrease, increases the likeliness of inbreeding and decrease of genetic diversity
 * the best conservation effort would be habitat restoration

Goldberg, Amanda R.; Conway, Courtney J.; Mack, Diane Evans; Burak, Greg (2020-11). "Winter Versus Summer Habitat Selection in a Threatened Ground Squirrel". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 84 (8): 1548–1559. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21936. ISSN 0022-541X.

https://species.idaho.gov/wildlife-species/ground-squirrels/
 * NIGS hibernate for 8 months in a different habitat than their active season
 * therefore we need to conserve both habitats year round for effective conservation
 * look at the figures

Goldberg, Amanda Renee. (2018-12). Diet, disease, and hibernation behavior of northern Idaho ground squirrels. Theses and Dissertations Collection, Digital Initiatives, University of Idaho Library. https://www.lib.uidaho.edu/digital/etd/items/goldberg_idaho_0089e_11480.html

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service put a recovery plan for the northern Idaho ground squirrel in place in 2003. The plan seeks to increase population size and create more metapopulations and care for them until they are self sufficient. For the plan to end, the effective population must increase to over 5,000 individuals. The plan is also using a captive breeding program, incase the effort to increase the wild populations goes extinct.

In August 2022, there was a 5-year review published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assess the recovery plan and the species. The forest restoration for the squirrel is expected to be done by 2027. Forest thinning followed by prescribed fire and prescribed fire are begin used to restore the NIDGS habitat. 32 acres of land in the Payette National Forest received prescribed fire for the NIDGS habitat. The OX Ranch signed a Safe Harbor Agreement to support one of the largest populations of the NIDGS with 7,783 acres of land (the ranch has been a crucial part of conservation). The squirrel is still a threatened species.