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Townsend's ground squirrel (Urocitellus townsendii) is a rare species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Washington in the United States.[1]
| Townsend's ground squirrel | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Urocitellus |
| Species: | U. townsendii |
| Binomial name | |
| Urocitellus townsendii (Bachman, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Spermophilus townsendii Bachman, 1839 | |
Townsend's ground squirrel is found only in Washington in the United States. It occurs in the Yakima River Valley, west of the Yakima River, and in the Horse Heaven Hills to the south.[1][2]
Less than 10% of the native habitat of the Townsend's ground squirrel remains. Its native habitat was shrubsteppe, grasslands, and sagebrush at the edges of forest.[3] It now also occurs in habitats modified by humans, such as orchards, pastures, and abandoned fields.[4]
Colonies of Townsend's ground squirrel are fragmented and isolated.[1] In 2022, the Bureau of Land Management had 16 unique records of occurrence.[4] In 2012, there were 8 colonies recorded for the Hanford Reach National Monument.[4][5][6] As of 2024[update], there are 29 research grade observations in iNaturalist.[7]
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