Mammals
Richardson's Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus richardsonii · also called flickertail
Rising bolt upright on the open prairie, a Richardson’s ground squirrel scans the sky for hawks, its flicking tail the habit that earned the species the name flickertail.
Overview
Richardson’s ground squirrel, Urocitellus richardsonii, is a Least Concern rodent native to the northern Great Plains of Canada and the United States. Its upright watching posture, tail-flicking, and long hibernation make it one of the most familiar small mammals of the northern prairie.
A name written in a tail
The squirrel’s nickname comes straight from its tail-flicking, a habit so familiar on the northern plains that it became a nickname for a whole state.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common across suitable prairie habitat.
Richardson's Ground Squirrel: common questions
Why is it called the flickertail?
It flicks its tail as it moves, a habit that gave it the nickname flickertail, which also inspired a nickname for North Dakota.
Why does it stand up on its hind legs?
It stands upright to scan the prairie for predators such as hawks, coyotes, and badgers.
How long does Richardson's ground squirrel hibernate?
It spends much of the year, often most of it, hibernating in a burrow.
Where is Richardson's ground squirrel found?
It is native to grassland habitat across the northern Great Plains of Canada and the United States.