Urocitellus
Encyclopedia
Urocitellus is a genus
of ground squirrel
s. They were previously believed to belong to the much larger genus Spermophilus
, but DNA sequencing
of the cytochrome b
gene showed that this group was paraphyletic to the prairie dog
s and marmot
s,, and could therefore no longer be retained as a single genus. As a result, Urocitellus is now considered as a genus in its own right.
All but two species are native to the northern and western parts of North America, from California
and Minnesota
through the north-western United States and western Canada
; one species inhabits Arctic terrain on both sides of the Bering Strait
, while the other is exclusively found in Asia. The name of the genus comes from the Latin words for "tail" (uro) and "ground squirrel" (citellus).
Genus Urocitellus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of ground squirrel
Ground squirrel
The ground squirrels are members of the squirrel family of rodents which generally live on or in the ground, rather than trees. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less...
s. They were previously believed to belong to the much larger genus Spermophilus
Spermophilus
Spermophilus is a genus of ground squirrels in the family Sciuridae. The majority of ground squirrel species, over 40 in total, are usually placed in this genus...
, but DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing
DNA sequencing includes several methods and technologies that are used for determining the order of the nucleotide bases—adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine—in a molecule of DNA....
of the cytochrome b
Cytochrome b
Cytochrome b/b6 is the main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes. In addition, it commonly refers to a region of mtDNA used for population genetics and phylogenetics.- Function :...
gene showed that this group was paraphyletic to the prairie dog
Prairie dog
Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...
s and marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
s,, and could therefore no longer be retained as a single genus. As a result, Urocitellus is now considered as a genus in its own right.
All but two species are native to the northern and western parts of North America, from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
through the north-western United States and western Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
; one species inhabits Arctic terrain on both sides of the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
, while the other is exclusively found in Asia. The name of the genus comes from the Latin words for "tail" (uro) and "ground squirrel" (citellus).
Species
Twelve species are currently identified:Genus Urocitellus
- Uinta ground squirrelUinta ground squirrelThe Uinta ground squirrel , commonly called a Potgut in northern Utah, is a native of the northern Rocky Mountains and surrounding foothills of the United States including Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming...
, Urocitellus armatus - Belding's ground squirrelBelding's Ground SquirrelBelding's ground squirrel , also called pot gut, sage rat or picket-pin, is a squirrel that lives on mountains in the western United States. In California, it often is found at 6,500–11,800 feet in meadows between Lake Tahoe and Kings Canyon...
, Urocitellus beldingi - Idaho ground squirrelIdaho Ground SquirrelThe Idaho ground squirrel is a species of the largest genus of ground squirrels. There are two subspecies, both in Idaho. They are also known as Idaho Spotted Ground Squirrel.-Description:...
, Urocitellus brunneus - Merriam's ground squirrelMerriam's Ground SquirrelMerriam's ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It occurs in the states of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon in the United States.-Description:...
, Urocitellus canus - Columbian ground squirrelColumbian Ground SquirrelThe Columbian ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in Canada and the United States....
, Urocitellus columbianus - Wyoming ground squirrelWyoming Ground SquirrelThe Wyoming ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is endemic to the United States....
, Urocitellus elegans - Piute ground squirrelPiute Ground SquirrelThe Piute ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the United States....
, Urocitellus mollis - Arctic ground squirrelArctic Ground SquirrelThe Arctic ground squirrel is a species of ground squirrel native to the Arctic.-Subspecies:Listed alphabetically.*S. p. ablusus Osgood, 1903...
, Urocitellus parryii - Richardson's ground squirrelRichardson's Ground SquirrelRichardson's ground squirrel , or the flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus...
, Urocitellus richardsonii - Townsend's ground squirrelTownsend's Ground SquirrelThe Townsend's ground squirrel is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in high desert shrublands in several areas of the United States.-Distribution:...
, Urocitellus townsendii - Long-tailed ground squirrelLong-tailed Ground SquirrelThe long-tailed ground squirrel or Eversmann's souslik is a species of rodent in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is found in China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia.-Description:...
, Urocitellus undulatus - Washington ground squirrelWashington Ground SquirrelThe Washington ground squirrel is a squirrel found in the Pacific Northwest United States, in the states of Washington and Oregon. The species is listed as endangered in Oregon and is a candidate for endangered species listing in the United States, but is not currently listed...
, Urocitellus washingtoni