Wildlifeof China
Long-tailed Ground Squirrel
Squirrels & Flying Squirrels
Photo: Chat mauve · CC BY-SA 3.0
Urocitellus undulatus
Basic stats
Diet
Grasses, seeds, roots, bulbs and some animal material
Habitat
Steppe, meadow, open woodland and mountain grassland
Range
Central and northern Asia, including northwestern China
Size
Approximately 21–31cm head-and-body length
Weight
Approximately 250–580g
The long-tailed ground squirrel is a sturdy terrestrial squirrel with a conspicuously long, bushy tail, small rounded ears and a brownish, mottled coat. Its broad Asian range extends through Siberia, Mongolia and Central Asia into northwestern China. Adults have a head-and-body length of approximately 21–31cm, excluding the tail. (Wikipedia, general species account)
It inhabits steppe, meadow, open woodland and mountain grassland, where colonies excavate branching burrows. The diet includes grasses, seeds, roots and bulbs, together with some insects and other animal material. These squirrels hibernate through the cold season and emerge to feed and breed during the short northern summer. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Long-tailed Ground Squirrel eat?
- Grasses, seeds, roots, bulbs and some animal material
- What habitat does the Long-tailed Ground Squirrel live in?
- Steppe, meadow, open woodland and mountain grassland
- Where is the Long-tailed Ground Squirrel found?
- Central and northern Asia, including northwestern China
- How big is the Long-tailed Ground Squirrel?
- Approximately 21–31cm head-and-body length
- How much does the Long-tailed Ground Squirrel weigh?
- Approximately 250–580g