European Ground Squirrel or Souslik
European sousliks inhabit open landscapes. They prefer to live in prairies and steppes, rocky country, open woodlands, abandoned farms, and desert mountain ranges. They avoid wet areas, the banks of permanent waters, or any type of wet areas created by accumulated water. They are not found in areas with a dense forest cover.
European ground squirrel or Souslik
The European souslik has a slender but strong body. The legs are relatively short; the forelegs and hind legs are about the same length (Parker, 1990). The back is yellow-gray and densily covered by whitish-yellow speckles or dots. The dots disappear on the sides of the body, and the belly is yellow. The chin and the throat are white. The European souslik has short and smooth body hair which becomes straighter and stiffer in winter (Parker, 1990). The external ears of the European souslik are flat. The forehead is broad and flat, causing the large eyes to be far apart. The cheek pouches are rather small. The tail is short, measuring about 3.8-7.4cm, and is coated with hair.
Reproduction
The gestation period of the European souslik is 25-26 days. European sousliks mate only once a year, producing 2-9 youngs per birth. The offspring are born naked; the eyes and the ears are still closed. The weaning period is about 30 days, and the males hardly participate in the weaning of a litter. European sousliks reach sexual maturity in 1 year.
Behavior
European sousliks are active during the day. They dig and live in lodges of two types. One is the permanent den, in which they spend nights or the entire winter. The other is a temporary, protective hole which serves as a refuge or for a short rest. European sousliks hibernate. Before hibernating, they clog up the entrance to the lodge with soil and build a tunnel that extends to near the surface and contains a chamber, but no nesting material. After waking up from hibernation, sousliks either open up the clogged tunnel or dig themselves out from the side tunnel directly to the surface. The old males start to hibernate in the first half of August while the adult females continue to remain outside until the first half of September. European souslik are rarely seen outdoors as late as November. European sousliks bring food into the lodge for consumption, and they provide food for the young. However, they never store any supplies for the winter. They are solitary in their burrows; however, they are colonial in the sense that they build their burrows close together. This helps in protecting them from predators.
Food Habits
The European souslik feeds primarily on vegetation, nuts, seeds, and grains; however, individuals may also consume small invertebrates, small vertebrates, and birds’ eggs. In captivity they should be offered a complete diet of rodent lab blocks, and rat or mouse mix, with bits of fruit or veggies regularly. Cheerios or wheat bread are great treats, in small quantities. Do NOT feed chocolate, fried foods, salted foods, candy or junk food! They may enjoy crickets and mealworms if they are captive bred, never feed wild insects as they may carry parasites. Vitamins, like Nutri-Cal are a good addition to their diet, and added calcium during nursing and growth due to demands on their systems at those times, but take care not to overdo it. Water bottles should be used to proved constant, clean water. Ceramic or stoneware food dishes work well for keeping seeds or fresh foods off the floor, and a wire mesh hopper that allows them to eat the lab blocks through without extra waste.
