Franklin’s Ground Squirrel
Franklin’s ground squirrels live in the northern part of the American tall grass prairie. They occur from the southwest of Ontario west to central Manitoba, south through central North Dakota and central Kansas. They are found as far east as west-central Indiana, and northwest to the Lake Michigan shore in the Michigan City-Chicago area. They also occur through southern Wisconsin and central Minnesota. They live at the border between grassy areas and woody vegetation because of the diverse food sources available (Baker, 1983). These squirrels are not often seen because of their preference for densely vegetated areas.
Franklin’s ground squirrel
Franklin’s ground squirrels are larger than the average ground squirrel. They have a slender and elongated body that measures 355 to 410 mm in total length, tail length measures 120 to 158 mm. The pelage is and short salt-and-pepper colored and the tail is bushy. The head and tail are grayish as a result of of alternating bands of black and white on the individual hairs. The feet are pale gray and the ears are short and ovate. Males are heavier than females and winter and summer weights vary significantly. Males range from 370 to 500 g in spring, upon emerging from hibernation to 570 to 950 g in late fall, before entering hibernation. Female weights range from 340 to 425 g in spring and 500 to 760 g in fall.
Reproduction
There is a great deal of rivalry during courtship among males in their pursuit of a female. Musky discharges from the anal glands play a role in the sex attracting process. The mating phase of the reproductive process is completed by mid-April. The gestation period is about 28 days. The young are born in May or June. Franklin’s ground squirrels have one litter annually, which contains from 5-10 babies (average 7). At birth the young are naked and blind but at ten days old fuzzy hair appears. At 20 days their eyes open and they can emit whistle calls. At 30 days the young venture outside and at 40 days the weaning process is completed. By the time winter comes, the young are almost adult size. The young squirrels are not interested in mating until after hibernation at the end of their first year.
Behavior
Franklin’s ground squirrels lack the noisy and “curious” actions that are apparent in their relatives, they are relatively inconspicuous. Franklin’s ground squirrels don’t usually stand in an upright position, as their relatives do when alarmed. Instead they immediately seek refuge in their burrows. Franklin ground squirrels are most active on bright, sunny days. They are estimated to spend approximately 10% of their time above ground. They usually inhabit an area that is about 300 feet in diameter.
They dig ground burrows that may extend as much as 8 ft underground, and that have several branches and openings. Burrows can be found in tall grass or weed cover, on rocky slopes, on railroad embankments, and under logs, rocks, and fences. Franklin’s ground squirrels can swim and climb trees. They are less social than other ground squirrel species but do often live in loose aggregations. They have been know to make a variety of calls, suggesting gregarious relationship. The meaning of the calls is not know, but they are described as being clear and musical.
Franklin’s ground squirrels put on a heavy layer of fat in the late summer for sustenance during winter hibernation. By late September, each squirrel has selected an underground spot for hibernation. It hibernates through the winter and emerges in late March or early April.
Food Habits
Franklin’s ground squirrels’ diet consists of tough vegetable fibers and hard-shelled seeds and fruits. They feed on the vegetative parts of grasses, clovers, mustard, dandelion, strawberry, thistle and other plants. Seeds and fruits as well as cultivated crops such as corn, oats, wheat and a variety of garden vegetables are also part of their diet. Franklin’s ground squirrels also eat some animal material, including beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, crickets, ants, small birds, ducks, deer mice, frogs, toads, birds’ or ducks’ eggs, and even other ground squirrels. 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.
