Seasonal activity and body mass of Columbian ground squirrels

Abstract

Recent research on Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus) has invoked the lengths of the active season and plant growing season to explain differences in life history and social behaviours among populations at different elevations. We evaluated an assumption of these studies that the active season for individual ground squirrels is significantly shorter at high than at low elevation. Adult males and females were active for about 100 days at low elevation and about 86 days at high elevation. Juvenile ground squirrels also had a longer active season at low (50 days) than at high elevation (45 days), but for yearlings the active season was similar (about 87 days). The active season for adults was about 2 weeks shorter than the plant growing season at low elevation, but up to 2 weeks longer than the plant growing season at high elevation. Differences in body mass of adult ground squirrels between low and high elevations at spring emergence from hibernation and at fall immergence into hibernation were consistent with a shorter active season and lower annual energy intake at high elevation, where adults were generally lighter. Examination of rates of weight gain during the active season showed that differences in adult weight could be explained by the length of the active season, but that yearlings and juveniles grew more rapidly at low than at high elevation. These results support the assumption that the active season for individual ground squirrels is generally shorter at high than at low elevation.