Callospermophilus lateralis (golden-mantled ground squirrel)
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Rodentia |
| Family | Sciuridae |
| Genus | Callospermophilus |
| Species | Callospermophilus lateralis |
| Common | golden-mantled ground squirrel |
| Diet | herbivore (primarily) |
| Habitat | Open woodlands, brushy forest-edge habitats, dry margins of mountain meadows, and rocky slopes. |
| Description | Formerly in genus Spermophilus. Black and white stripes on back but NOT on head and nose (unlike a chipmunk). Head gold-yellow. Larger than a chipmunk. |
| Skull Characteristics | Similar to other ground squirrels: Zygomatic arches are twisted and flattened horizontally and converge toward the front, with a more streamlined appearance than tree squirrels, good for squeezing through burrows. Postorbital process projection is often narrow and fragile. In the mandible, the notch between the coronoid process and the condyloid process is deeper in ground squirrels than in tree squirrels. |
| Notes | Links to more species information:
Smithsonian Animal Diversity Web |