Franklin's Ground Squirrels Research Articles

Further Notes on Franklin's Ground Squirrel

Further Notes on Franklin's Ground Squirrel

History and current status of Franklin's Ground Squirrel in Manitoba and elsewhere in Canada

History and current status of Franklin's Ground Squirrel in Manitoba and elsewhere in Canada

Gap-crossing decisions by adult Franklin's ground squirrels in agricultural landscapes

Abstract In the midwestern United States, grassland habitat is fragmented by row-crop agriculture and urbanization. In spring and early summer, grassland animals facing a decision to either enter a fallow crop field or detour around it likely balance trade-offs between predation risk and travel costs, similar to forest animals encountering a clear-cut. We tested if Franklin's ground squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii), a grassland mammal, based gap-crossing decisions on lengths of alternate movement routes or on energetic constraints by translocating radiocollared adult squirrels across crop fields and tracking their routes home. Giving-up densities of food resources from a field experiment indicated that Franklin's ground squirrels perceived a higher risk of predation in crop fields than in grass, but squirrels did not appear to compensate for risk by adjusting travel speed through crop fields. Body mass was the only predictor of gap crossing; lighter squirrels were more likely than heavier squirrels to ...

Comparing detection dog and livetrapping surveys for a cryptic rodent

AbstractWe compared the effectiveness and cost of distribution surveys using livetrapping to those using detection dog‐handler teams for a cryptic rodent (Franklin's ground squirrel [Poliocitellus franklinii]). We livetrapped at 62 sites in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin for Franklin's ground squirrels in 2007–2009 and surveyed 40 of those sites using detection dogs in 2009. Independent surveys of a site by 2 dog‐handler teams took <1 hr and yielded detection rates comparable to 2 daily livetrapping surveys (detection rate = 83–84%). However, false presences are a potential problem when detection dogs are trained to scent of a species that leaves little visual sign to confirm its presence. Surveys by 2 dog‐handler teams cost >2 daily livetrapping surveys conducted by 2 technicians but more and larger sites can be surveyed by dog‐handler teams in a shorter time. For surveys covering large spatial scales or when time is a limiting factor, number of false presences, and study costs can be reduced by employing a 2‐stage survey protocol in which livetrapping is conducted only at sites where detection dog surveys indicate presence. We conclude a 2‐stage strategy could be used effectively in large‐scale surveys for a variety of rare and cryptic species. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.

Northerly Range Extensions of Mammalian Species in Minnesota

An inventory and monitoring program for species of non-volant small mammals was undertaken in Voyageurs National Park on the Minnesota-Canadian border. Other observations of mammals were made in and around the Park (1967–2004). Here we report species range extensions, most noted since 1982, for four species of rodents present in and/or around the Park and Superior National Forest. They are the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), rock vole (Microtus chrotorrhinus), Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) and eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). We also report the expansions within the state of the badger (Taxidea taxus) and the raccoon (Procyon lotor), previously known to occur further north in Canada. The results are discussed in the context of inventorying strategies, anthropogenic global climate change and the reservoirs for diseases transmissible to humans.

Rodent-AssociatedBartonellain Saskatchewan, Canada

Six species of wild rodents were sampled at 10 sites in 2002 and 2003 to determine the prevalence of Bartonella infections in rodent communities near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Isolates were characterized genotypically and compared with isolates found at other locations. Of 104 wild rodents examined, 57% were infected with Bartonella and prevalence within species varied from 49% for Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus richardsonii) to 90% for Franklin's ground squirrels (S. franklinii). Infected rodents were found at all sites. Sequencing of a 379-bp portion of the citrate synthase gene was performed on 54 isolates and revealed 13 distinct genotypes, eight of which had not been described previously. The most common genotype detected in red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) was 99.1% similar to B. grahamii, a known human pathogen. Two of 10 Franklin's ground squirrels were concurrently infected with multiple Bartonella genotypes. All genotypes, with the exception of one detected in both Franklin's and thirteen-lined ground squirrels (S. tridecemlineatus), were found in only one host, and all genotypes from each species, with the exception of genotypes detected in red-backed voles, clustered together within the same relatedness group, suggesting that at least some Bartonella genotypes are specific to some rodent hosts.

Juvenile Dispersal of Franklin's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) From a Prairie “Island”

Abstract Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) is declining in the eastern portion of its range, and this decline is often attributed to habitat fragmentation. However, the ability of S. franklinii to disperse across an agricultural landscape is not known. During spring 2002 we live trapped a small, apparently isolated, population of Franklin's ground squirrels in a 12-ha tallgrass prairie restoration located south of Urbana, Champaign County, Illinois. This prairie “island” was surrounded primarily by row-crop agriculture. We radio-tracked 14 juvenile Franklin's ground squirrels (seven males and seven females) throughout dispersal to determine how far dispersers traveled, the timing of dispersal, if dispersal distance differed between sexes and if the agricultural matrix surrounding the study site was a barrier to movements. Males dispersed farther than females, but individuals of both sexes moved ≥1 km from the study site. The farthest movement recorded was by a male who traveled 3.6 km. ...

Kin discrimination by asocial Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii): is there a relationship between kin discrimination and ground squirrel sociality?

Social discrimination among conspecifics allows the expression of beneficent behaviour toward certain individuals including kin, neighbours, colony members, mates or other allies such that the fitness of the actor, recipient or both parties are enhanced. I tested for behavioural discrimination among juvenile Franklin's ground squirrels by staging dyadic interactions among pairs of littermates, neighbours and non-neighbouring colony members in a neutral arena. Franklin's ground squirrel juveniles interacted less frequently and showed fewer recognitive contacts with littermates than with neighbouring or non-neighbouring non-littermates. They did not discriminate neighbouring from non-neighbouring non-littermates in any way. Thus, juvenile Franklin's ground squirrels manifest kin discrimination in the absence of any broader level of social discrimination. Taken together with comparative data from congeners, it is apparent that kin discrimination is not unique to highly social ground squirrels, and that strict kin discrimination may give way to broader social inclusivity with advancing sociality in the genus Spermophilus. It remains unclear, however, whether kin discrimination in Franklin's ground squirrels promotes nepotism, or ultimately serves in the context of mate choice.

Franklin's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) in Illinois: A Declining Prairie Mammal?

Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) appears to be becoming increasingly uncommon in the eastern portion of its range, but current data on its status in Illinois are lacking. We conducted a mail survey of 166 wildlife professionals from throughout the historical range of the species in Illinois to obtain information pertaining to extant and extirpated populations and local population trends. Locations of potential populations were compared with 106 known historical points of occurrence. Twenty-six sites were chosen for livetrapping surveys to confirm the presence or absence of the species. We considered it likely that Franklin's ground squirrels might persist in these sites due to information provided in the mail survey and/or known historical occupancy. Franklin's ground squirrels inhabited only 3 of the 26 trapping sites; however, we located two other areas of probable occurrence in addition to the locations that we surveyed. While it is clear that Franklin's ground squirrel has declined in Illinois, the magnitude of this decline remains unknown due to the secretive behavior of the species and a lack of knowledge about its ecology. The methods described in this paper are an efficient means of collecting initial information concerning the status of a species that is difficult to observe or about which little is known.

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS OF MAMMALS CORROBORATE THE EXCEPTIONAL DECLINE OF PRAIRIE HABITAT IN THE CHICAGO REGION

Abstract The prairie deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus bairdii) was more common than the white-footed mouse (P. leucopus) in museum collections from the 6 Illinois counties of the Chicago region before 1920 but constitutes only 5% of specimens deposited since 1970. Because white-footed mouse prefers woody vegetation and because prairie deer mouse is limited to prairie or large open habitats, the change in proportion is likely driven by a disproportionate loss of prairie among remaining natural habitat and increases in woody vegetation within grasslands. The decline of the prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) relative to the meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus) and the lack of recent specimens of Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) corroborate the hypothesis that prairie habitats have declined much more so than wooded habitats in the Chicago region. Based on extinction models using museum records, it is probable that S. franklinii is already locally extirpated. Regression analysis suggests the ...

Relationships of Habitat Patch Size to Predator Community and Survival of Duck Nests

We studied duck nest success and predator community composition in relation to size of discrete patches of nesting cover in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United States in 1993-95 We focused on nests in uplands that were seeded to perennial grasses and forbs and enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. We estimated daily survival rates (DSRs) of upland duck nests and indices of activity for red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), coyotes (Canis latrans), American badgers (Taxidea taxus), striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) and Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii) and related these variables to habitat patch size. The effect of patch size (small vs. large) on estimated annual mean DSR was dependent on date of nest initiation (early vs. late) and year. Examination of within-year comparisons for early and late nests suggested that DSR was generally greater in larger habitat patches Activity indices for the 5 mammalian nest predators were influenced differently by year, location, and patch size. Activity indices of the red fox were greatest in small patches. Coyote indices were the most inconsistent, demonstrating a year × location × patch size interaction. Activity indices of the striped skunk and American badger varied only among years. Franklin's ground squirrel indices were affected by study area location, with higher indices in the southeast than the northwest. Red fox activity was weakly correlated with that of the striped skunk and coyote. Although a positive relationship between habitat patch size and nest success probably exists, we believe the experiment to fully test this hypothesis will continue to be elusive.

Reduction in the Eastern Limit of the Range of the Franklin's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii)

-The eastern range limit of the Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii) in North America extends into northwest Indiana. We determined the species' current range in Indiana using live traps at 370 survey sites in 20 counties from July 1984 to August 1990. We captured 120 Franklin's ground squirrels in 5161 trap days at 36 (9.7%) sites. Its current distribution is limited to nine of the westernmost counties in northwest Indiana. No squirrels were found in eight counties at the eastern periphery of the species' previously known range. Mean capture rate and frequency of squirrel occurrence relative to trapping effort did not differ among four land use types. Franklin's ground squirrels were not found in many seemingly suitable areas. Research is needed to identify preferred habitat and to aid in managing this species. Urban development, agricultural expansion, and conversion to row crops may have reduced the amount of grassland habitat available to support Franklin's ground squirrels.

Movements and Habitat Use of Franklin's Ground Squirrels in Duck-Nesting Habitat

We used radio telemetry to determine the movements and habitat use patterns of adult Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii) on a 152-ha Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in central North Dakota. The squirrels were diurnal. Mean total distance traveled daily was 213 and 153 m for males and females, respectively. Movements of females decreased during gestation and lactation; those of both sexes decreased prior to immergence. Annual home ranges averaged 24.6 and 8.7 ha for males and females, respectively; biweekly home-range sizes exhibited seasonal patterns. Ground squirrels restricted their activities almost exclusively to the WPA. Use of blocks of herbaceous cover on the WPA could not be explained by vegetation height, density, or litter depth. Ground squirrel movements were influenced by locations of burrow systems and patchily distributed food resources. Periodic cultivation or removal of herbaceous vegetation may inhibit use of upland duck-nesting habitat by ground squirrels. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 53(2):324-331 Planting dense nesting cover (DNC) to provide upland-nesting ducks with increased security from nest predators is a common practice on areas managed for duck production in North America's prairie pothole region (Duebbert and Kantrud 1974, Duebbert and Lokemoen 1976, Higgins and Barker 1982). Although DNC is attractive to some duck species, its importance to the activities of predators of duck eggs is undetermined. The Franklin's ground squirrel inhabits dense cover throughout much of the prairie pothole region (Hall 1981). It is a predator of duck eggs (Sargeant et al. 1987) and has been implicated in severe predation on duck nests in fields of DNC in east-central North Dakota (Greenwood 1986). Past studies of Franklin's ground squirrels have emphasized natural history (Sowles 1948, Haggerty 1968, Haberman and Fleharty 1971, Iverson and Turner 1972, Murie 1973), but little information is available on their movements and use of habitat. Our objective was to describe the movements and use of habitat by Franklin's ground squirrels on a federally owned WPA where upland habitat was primarily DNC fields of different ages. We thank D. H. Johnson and J. N. Burroughs for help with data processing, R. J. Greenwood, M. A. Sovada, and D. J. Norris for field assistance and helpful suggestions throughout the study, and H. F. Duebbert and D. H. Johnson for comments on manuscript drafts. The study was funded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center; the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; and the Edward K. Love Foundation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Missouri Department of Conservation, University of Missouri-Columbia, and the Wildlife Management Institute contribute to the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. This is Journal Series 10008, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Project 189.

Importance of individual species of predators on nesting success of ducks in the Canadian Prairie Pothole Region

We followed 3094 upland nests of several species of ducks. Clutches in most nests were lost to predation. We related daily nest predation rates to indices of activity of eight egg-eating predators, precipitation during the nesting season, and measures of wetland conditions. Activity indices of red fox (Vulpes vulpes), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and raccoon (Procyon lotor) activity were positively correlated, as were activity indices of coyote (Canis latrans), Franklin's ground squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii), and black-billed magpie (Pica pica). Indices of fox and coyote activity were strongly negatively correlated (r = −0.51), as were those of badger (Taxidea taxus) and skunk (r = −0.46). Nest predation rates in the early part of the breeding season were positively related to indices of fox, American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), and badger activity. Predation rates in the latter part of the season were positively related to indices of fox and skunk activity. Predation rates on early-season nests were lower in areas and years in which larger fractions of seasonal wetlands contained water. For late-season nests, a similar relationship held involving semipermanent wetlands. We suspect that the wetland measures, which reflect precipitation during some previous period, also indicate vegetation growth and the abundance of buffer prey, factors that may influence nest predation rates.

An adenovirus infection of the kidney of Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklini) in Saskatchewan, Canada.

During routine pathological studies of Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklini) collected during a predator control program, basophilic intranuclear inclusions were found in the collecting tubule epithelium of the renal papillae in seven of 13 squirrels. This was associated with marked karyomegaly in affected cells. An inflammatory response was not seen in the adjacent tissues. Electron microscopic examination of affected cells demonstrated that the enlarged nuclei contained numerous virus-like particles. Autoculture and serial passage of renal medullary cells resulted in the isolation of virus particles producing intranuclear inclusions and cytopathic effect. The virus possessed properties typical of adenoviruses, but showed no evidence of hemagglutinating activity with a range of species of erythrocytes tested under several temperature conditions. The isolates were relatively host-cell specific; they failed to grow in hamster and rabbit kidney cell lines and in ground squirrel kidney cortical cells.

Home Ranges of Three Species of Chipmunks (Tamias) as Assessed by Radiotelemetry and Grid Trapping

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Radio-Transmitter Implants in 4 Species of Small Mammals

A simple surgical procedure was used to implant radio transmitters intraperitoneally in deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), montane voles (Microtus montanus), Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii), and Townsend's ground squirrels (Spermophilus townsendii) in southeastern Idaho. Transmitters were implanted in 105 individuals from 1982 through 1985; 85 (81%) survived and were known to be alive in our study area 1 month after surgery. Survival rates for 60 deer mice, 22 montane voles, 16 Ord's kangaroo rats, and 7 Townsend's ground squirrels were at least 85, 77, 69, and 86%, respectively. Although the transmitter package weight:small-mammal body weight ratios often exceeded those recommended, neither locomotor abilities nor behavior were perceptively affected. The technique appeared to offer a viable method of fitting these semifossorial species with radio transmitters. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 51(1):105-108 The development of modern radio-telemetry equipment and techniques has redefined the scope and power of studies requiring marked animals. Individual animals can be located, identified, and monitored relatively easily. This allows a predictable data acquisition strategy that relies less on chance encounters or other vagaries of classical marked-animal studies. For example, fitting small mammals with radio transmitters avoids the biases of trap aversion or trap happiness inherent in multiple recapture studies. For most radio-tagged mammals the transmitter is externally attached by some sort of collar device. However, for some small-mammal species conventional collars are inappropriate. For example, white-footed mice (P. leucopus), meadow voles (M. pennsylvanicus), Ord's kangaroo rats, and Franklin's ground squirrels (S. franklinii) fitted with radio collars have each experienced >1 of the following: transmitter loss, neck irritation and/or hair loss, restricted movement through burrows and/or dense vegetation, increased ectoparasite load beneath the collar, and changes in behavior (Hamley and Falls 1975, Madison 1977, Smith and Whitney 1977, Filipovich 1983, Eagle et al. 1984). Moreover, external transmitter collars damaged by extreme weather conditions, mechanical wear (Eagle et al. 1984), and/or mutual grooming episodes (Madison 1977) have prematurely failed. These problems can be overcome by surgically implanting the transmitter. Rawson and Hartline (1964) were the 1st to implant transmitters in small mammals, subcutaneously in deer mice. They concluded that, even though the implanted transmitter grossly deformed the dorsal contour of the mice, the animals' movements were not detectably hindered. Subsequent to that pioneer effort, Neely and Campbell (1973) compared the survival and response of white-footed mice to subcutaneous and intraperitoneal transmitter implants. Their results suggested that the latter implantation site was better. Using placebo transmitter packages in white-footed mice, Smith and Whitney (1977) concluded that intraperitoneal implants were both feasible and biologically optimal. Smith (1980a) examined the effect of implants on growth rates, reproduction, and survival of adult white-footed mice and found no differences between experimental and control animals. Smith (1980b) also determined that suckling whitefooted mice could successfully carry intraperitoneal implants without detriment if the implantation occurred after the venter pelage was well developed and pups' eyes had been open for >2 days. Besides white-footed mice, the success rates and/or the techniques of implanting intraperitoneal transmitters in small mammals have been reported only for Franklin's ground squirrels (Eagle et al. 1984) and meadow voles (Madison 1980). The objective of this study was to determine the successfulness of intraperitoneal trans-

Seasonal Activity Cycle and Weight Changes of the Franklin's Ground Squirrel

Annual activity patterns and weight changes of adult Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii) in North Dakota were recorded during 1981 and 1982. Timing of emergence, immergence and weight gain differed between years and among males, parous females and nonparous females. Males emerged from hibernation in mid-April, ca. 2 weeks ahead of females. Parturition occurred during late May and early June and young appeared above ground in late June through early July. Males and nonparous females began entering hibernation in early August followed by parous females in midto late August. During all sample periods, mean weights of males were significantly greater than those of parous females (P<0.04). Accumulation of most fat reserves for hibernation was concentrated during the month preceding immergence.

ADIASPIROMYCOSIS IN THE FRANKLIN'S GROUND SQUIRREL, Spermophilus franklini, AND PIKA, Ochotona princeps, FROM ALBERTA, CANADA

Pulmonary adiaspiromycosis due to Emmonsia crescens was diagnosed in three of six Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklini) captured in Rochester, central Alberts, Canada in the summer of 1971, and in one of 240 pikas (Ochotona princeps) collected in southwestern Alberta in 1969. Granulomas measuring 0.5 to 1 mm in diameter were found in both lungs. These granulomas contained adiaspores measuring 60 to 400 mum in diameter. The disease was not found in six Franklin's ground squirrels collected in 1964, nor in 10 white-footed mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), one porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum), and 270 snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) from the Rochester area. Lungs from an additional 17 hares from Alaska and 25 from New Brunswick and 96 pikas from Colorado were also examined but no adiaspores were found.

Postnatal Growth and Development of Captive Franklin's Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii)

Growth and development of Franklin's ground squirrels (Spermophilus franklinii) were determined from 87 young raised by wild-caught females in the laboratory. Developmental stages appeared in the same sequence, but at a mean earlier age than in any other species of Spermophilus except S. undulatus. Lower incisors erupted on day 7, eyes and ears opened on day 20, and weaning occurred by day 28. Weight reached 25% of adult weight by day 34, 50% by day 44, 75% by day 54, and adult weight was reached by day 65. The instantaneous growth rate (IGR) was greatest in the 1st 10 days, with a maximum of 12.4% per day at day 3, decreasing to 1.2% by day 50. Hind foot length reached 75% of adult size by day 30, whereas total and tail lengths were less than 60% at the same age. Individual weight was negatively correlated with litter size, and there were indications of lower survival to weaning in numerically larger litters. Laboratory growth measurements cannot be directly extrapolated to field populations, since weaned laboratory young gained weight significantly more rapidly than field young. Data from similar studies on other hibernating sciurids suggest that birth dates and IGRs are related, and indicate a biological response to differing climates.