Spermophilus dauricus, Brandt, 1843
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6835475 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFA6-ED5B-FAC3-FA21F7C4FA92 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Spermophilus dauricus |
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Daurian Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus dauricus View in CoL
French: Spermophile de Daourie / German: Daurischer Ziesel / Spanish: Ardilla terrestre de Dauria
Taxonomy. Spermophilus dauricus Brandt, 1844 View in CoL ,
“circa Tarei lacum exsiccatum Davuriae et ad Onon - Bursa rivum,” Torei-Nor, Chitinskaya Oblast, Russia.
Strong genetic differentiation exists between S. dauricus and three other species of eastern Palearctic ground squirrels (S. relictus, Urocitellus parryi, and U. undulatus) suggesting substantial divergence.
Monotypic.
Distribution. SE Transbaikal in SE Russia,
E Mongolia, and NE China (from Inner Mongolia = Nei Mongol and Heilongjiang S to Shaanxi and Henan).
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 191-4 mm (males) and 190-2 mm (females), tail mean 63-2 mm (males) and 55-3 mm (females); weight mean 223-8 g. The Daurian Ground Squirrel is medium-sized and has cinnamon-buff dorsum, suffused with yellow with no stripes or spots. Tail is short, buff above and below, with black ring near distal end and light yellow tip.
Habitat. Open grasslands, plains, steppes, and deserts. Daurian Ground Squirrels inhabit sandy grasslands but usually not sand dunes.
Food and Feeding. The Daurian Ground Squirrel is an herbivore, feeding mostly on plant material and seeds, including some grains and other crops. It will occasionally eat insects or scavenge animal matter.
Breeding. The Daurian Ground Squirrel inhabits burrows with a vegetation-lined nest chamber in which young are born, but it also uses shallow escape burrows or more substantial hibernacula. Males typically emerge slightly before females in spring. Breeding can begin soon after emergence. One litter is produced annually in spring after gestation of c¢.30 days; litters have 2-9 young. Theoretical life-table analyses of Daurian Ground Squirrels from north-eastern China and the Columbian Ground Squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus) show that the two species have similar life-history traits; further, these analyses suggest a tradeoff between fecundity and survival in both species.
Activity patterns. The Daurian Ground Squirrel is diurnal and active aboveground in late spring and summer and hibernates in simple underground burrows that are usually just a few meters in length, with nests that are less than 1 m underground. Itis an efficient hibernator, dropping its body temperature to 4-8°C and using non-shivering thermogenesis. It has become an excellent model for studying hibernation.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Daurian Ground Squirrel appears to be solitary and lives in loose colonies. High-pitched vocalizations are frequently heard at colonies.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Population trend of the Daurian Ground Squirrel is unknown, but challenges to conservation are likely due to habitat fragmentation, poisoning, and range degradation. It is widespread, which suggests it may still be abundant.
Bibliography. Cai Yipeng et al. (1992), Gunduz et al. (2007a), Jiang Guangshun et al. (2015), Li Qingfen et al. (2001), Luo Jia & Fox (1990), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Thorington et al. (2012), Tsvirka et al. (2008), Wang Shigiang et al. (2002), Xing Xin et al. (2016), Zhong Wenqin et al. (2016).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
