DAY 2

• Description of the Habitat

  • Rainfall

    • The squirrel is typically found in regions with moderate rainfall, averaging around 25-40 inches annually

  • Plants

    • Thrives in grassy habitats, such as prairies, meadows, and open fields. Common plants include various grasses, forbs, and crops like corn and wheat

  • Animals

    • Habitat includes a variety of other insects such as: Insects, grasshoppers, small mammals, birds, hawks, and other predators

  • Temperature

    • Summers are quite warm as they get up to 95 degrees and as cold in the winters as -40 degrees. What's interesting about the 13 lined ground squirrel is that it hibernates in winter months

  • Terrain

    • They usually reside in typically flat to gently rolled mixture of open grasslands. For burrowing, they go into well drained soils

Diet

• Distribution

  • Continents found

    • Primarily found in North America. Ranges from central United States, stretching from Texas to the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Manitoba

• Invasive 

  • It is not considered an invasive species. It is native to North America and does not typically pose a threat to other ecosystems outside its natural range

Diet

• What exactly does it eat

  • The species has a omnivorous diet. It eats seeds, grains, and insects. Additionally it eats smaller vertebrates

• How often does it eat

  • Forages throughout the day and afternoon primarily. Eats a lot during the summer months to be able to hibernate in the winter months

• How does it get it's food

  • It uses sense of smell and sight to locate food on the ground. Forages and burrows to find food underneath. Can also travel short distances if needed. Uses its paws to dig and uncover food items like seeds and insects

• Any special foods

  • They have a varied diet, they have a particular fondness toward seeds and insects. During late summer and early fall, they consume large quantities of seeds for hibernation.