Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae
European Ground Squirrel
Spermophilus citellus
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The European ground squirrel or European souslik is a colonial rodent of the steppes and grasslands of central and eastern Europe. It lives in colonies that dig burrows in well-drained soils and hibernates for between six and eight months a year. It depends on short grass: it needs to see predators at a distance, so it only thrives where the sward is kept low by grazing or mowing. The abandonment of extensive livestock farming and the conversion of pasture to arable land have caused it to collapse across its range.
Weight
200 g – 430 g
Size
18 cm – 23 cm
Lifespan
6 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Colony
Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.
Sighting difficulty
Hard
Fun facts
- Its decline has a counter-intuitive cause: not intensive farming but the abandonment of traditional grazing. When the grass grows tall the colony cannot see predators coming and disappears, even though the ground is still open country.
- It is the main prey of the eastern imperial eagle and the lesser kestrel in central Europe: the recovery of those raptors is directly tied to the recovery of its colonies.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Short grassland, steppe, banks and hay meadows of central and eastern Europe
- Sexual maturity
- 10.3 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 27 days
- Litter / clutch size
- 6
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 23 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with European Ground Squirrel — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Himalayan Marmot
Marmota himalayana
Menzbier's Marmot
Marmota menzbieri
Least ConcernLong-tailed Marmot
Marmota caudata
Common Vole
Microtus arvalis
Not EvaluatedWater Buffalo
Bubalus bubalis
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
How to help
The european ground squirrel is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 6 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about european ground squirrel.
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