If you see a small animal with a bushy tail, it could be a golden mantled squirrel. Does it have a white ring around its eye and does it run fast? Because if so, I'm sure it's a golden mantled squirrel. A lot of people get confused and think a chipmunk is a golden mantled squirrel and a golden mantled squirrel is a chipmunk. The difference is a chipmunk has two white lines across its eye and a golden mantled squirrel has a white ring around its eye.

The golden mantled squirrel lives in Colorado and all other western states. It makes a home in a burrow on a hillside or in a mountain meadow. It's amazing how this tiny rodent stores food, sleeps and has babies in a 2 foot burrow. The squirrel's enemies are the marten and weasel, who can dig down into its burrow and eat it.Luckily the animal is not endangered so we can still see it.

The squirrel's favorite foods are seeds, berries, green plants, insects, and pine cones. It stuffs its cheeks to bring extras home.

I got my information from GUIDE TO WESTERN WILDLIFE by Buddy Mays.

You are walking in a park area or a woodland and you see a little brownish, grayish furry animal. It's about 12 inches long and is collecting pinecones, mushrooms, acorns, corn, sunflowers, blackberries, apples, flowers, buds, and other small animals found on the ground. It's a golden mantled squirrel. Most people call it the ground squirrel.

They are found in all western states including Canada The only places where they don't live in North America is the extreme northern part of Canada and they also don't live in extreme southern parts of Mexico. These squirrels are seen in burrows that they dig in the ground. They love to roll around in dirt which fluffs their fur. The golden mantled squirrel looks a lot like a chipmunk. It does not have stripes except for a little one on its head. It's bigger than a chipmunk. It's enemies are birds, carnivores, mammals and large reptiles.

Their sounds are kind of wierd. They are a shrill, chirping whistle, tongue clicking and nervous flicking of the tail. The golden mantled squirrel is very speedy. I hope you enjoyed learning about the golden mantled squirrel because I know I did.

I got my information from THE SQUIRREL by Margret Lane, CRITTERS OF THE MOUNTAIN WEST by Jean Snyder Pollock, MOUNTAIN WILDLIFE by Marj Dunmire, BUSY, BUSY SQUIRRELS by Coleen Stanlybare and GUIDE TO WESTERN WILDLIFE by Buddy Mays.

 What's that? Down on a rock! Is it a bird? No, it couldn't be! It's a golden mantled squirrel!

Golden mantled squirrels are ground squirrels. They live underground in a burrow they dig about 2 feet long. They whistle, chirp and click their toungue and they are 12 inches long including their 4 inch tail.

Their only enemy is the weasel because it can get inside their burrow. When they hibernate their body temperature drops to 40 degrees and their heart beat slows to 5 beats per minute

They eat seeds, berries, green plants and acorns.They often beg people for food. They stuff their cheek pouches with food and carry it back to their burrow.

They even take dust baths to fluff up their fur!

You will find this infomation in THE SQUIRRELS by Jana McConoughey and the GUIDE TO WESTERN WILDLIFE by Buddy Mayes.