Arctic ground squirrel is a native to the Arctic and Subarctic of North America and Asia.
It has a tan coat with a white-spotted back. It has a short face with white markings around its eyes. It has strong forearms and hind legs adopted for burrowing. During winter, its coat turns silvery. In the summer, it feeds on a lot of food, which includes tundra plants, seeds, and fruit to increase body fat for winter hibernation.
When it hibernates, its body temperature drops below freezing to survive long, cold winters without any food. It makes “tsik-tsik” calls in response to threats. It also makes variation in sounds for different predators.
These animals are primarily, although not exclusively, herbivorous and eat a variety of grasses, stems, roots, leaves, berries, seeds and mushrooms. They will also occasionally eat insects, small vertebrates (e.g., baby mice) and fresh carrion. Arctic ground squirrels begin storing food materials, such as willow leaves, grass seeds and berries, in their burrows during the summer months for use in the spring when they wake from hibernation.
Picture Credit : Google
