Urocitellus washingtoni (Washington ground squirrel)
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Rodentia |
| Family | Sciuridae |
| Genus | Urocitellus |
| Species | Urocitellus washingtoni |
| Common | Washington ground squirrel |
| Diet | herbivore (primarily) |
| Habitat | Native grasslands of the mid- Columbian basin. Classified as vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation. |
| Description | Formerly in genus Spermophilus. Medium size, gray and white splotchy, spotted on back. Hind foot short, <43 mm (cp. U. columbianus) |
| 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 |