Spermophilus mollis Kennicott, 1863 . Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 15:157.

TYPE LOCALITY: "Camp Floyd, near Fairfield, [Utah Co.,] Utah [USA]."

DISTRIBUTION: Two disjunct populations: in Washington, N of Yakima, W of Columbia, rivers (nancyae only); and SE corner of Oregon, Snake River valley (Idaho) southward through Nevada (except extreme S), extreme EC California, and W Utah.

SYNONYMS: artemesiae (Merriam, 1913); idahoensis (Merriam, 1913); leurodon (Merriam, 1913); nancyae Nadler, 1968; pessimus (Merriam, 1913); stephensi Merriam, 1898; washoensis (Merriam, 1913).

COMMENTS: Subgenus Spermophilus (Hall, 1981:383) . Formerly considered a subspecies of townsendii (Hall, 1981:383), but differs chromosomally (Nadler et al., 1984). No hybridization between mollis (2n=38) and adjacent canus (incl. vigilis) (2n=46) has been reported (Rickart et al., 1985:97-98). The taxon nancyae (2n=38) is disjunct, but provisionally included here. Reviewed (in part) by Rickart (1987) as S. townsendii .