13 Lined Ground Squirrel
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Which animal has a AMAZING adaptations that help it survive in its niche?
This striped gober omnivore eats anything from grasshoppers, wirehoppers to fruits, nuts and rarely drink water, something MOST mammals rely on. The Ictidomys tridecemlineatus is specialist BUT lives among 1/4 of the land in north america.
13 lined squirrel are most active on warm days, especially near the fall where they have to gather all the food they can get for the winter, hibernating from bigger dangerous animals and mostly because of the cold weather. The 13 lined ground squirrel only weighs near 200 grams allowing it to quick to cover when attacked and safely eat meals. These rodents live near other squirrels so they can quickly alert or be alerted when in danger. These squirrels may be small but are very effective.
Why is this species so important to its niche?
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels impact plant communities by digesting seeds and foliage. They appear as important prey on small predators, such as weasels, raptors, and snakes, and help to recycle soil nutrients through their activities. These squirrels recommend open areas with short grass and well-drained sandy or loamy soils for burrows, something not very difficult to find especially around north america. They tend to stay away from wooded areas, mowed lawns, golf courses, cemeteries, and well-grazed pastures. Rather than large hunting carnivores, these little guys don’t rely on other animals as there only food as they can survive of nuts, fruits, etc.
13 lined ground squirrel
How it has adapted to niche
It has a broad niche throughout summertime and gets more narrow in the winter due to hibernation. As spring rolls around, these groundhogs happen to be the mammals that get most of the attention when they rise from hibernation. However, they’re not the only mammals concluding their “winter sleep.” The thirteen-lined ground squirrels are another of this region’s “true hibernators.” They arise from hibernation in late March and can be seen until the month of October. As climate change happens more and more, lucky for these guy, they love the hot weather. Less winter means less hibernation, which ALSO means they get more time to gather food for hibernation. As for disasters like hurricanes and storms, these rodents can evacuate INSTANTLY, surviving all attacks. They adapt amazingly to the well done cropped, lawns around homes, golf courses and graveyards. It can also be found along the mowed borders of many highways.
13 lined squirrel is a very general specialist because it lives all around north america, it has adapted so well that they never want to leave their habitat. widely distributed over grasslands and prairies of north america
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