Richardson's ground squirrels are known by a variety of names, including gophers, prairie gophers, yellow gophers, picketpins, flickertails, and tawny American marmots.  They are sometimes confused with their relatives the prairie dogs.  But whatever they may be called, Richardson's ground squirrels are still the same, delightful animals they have always been.

A member of the squirrel family in the order Rodentia, Richardson's ground squirrels make their home in the northern plains of North America.  They are diurnal, obligate hibernators that live out most of their lives in underground burrows.

Some people seek to exterminate Richardson's ground Squirrels as agricultural pests, where as others seek them out as pets.  Because Richardson's Ground squirrels play an important role as a prey item for many carnivores and raptors and in creating microhabitats for other organisms such as burrowing owls, many people are interested in maintaining their status as a key element of the prairie ecosystem.  They are also used for scientific and medical research.
 
 

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