Wyoming’s 29 records of the spotted ground squirrel all come from two neighboring counties in the state’s southeast corner: Goshen with 22 and Platte with 7. That’s the North Platte lowlands, sandy soil under short grass and farmland, and it’s the northwestern edge of a range centered far to the south. A two-county map like this usually means one area got the attention; whether the squirrel occupies similar sandy ground farther west is a question only more looking can answer.
Summer animals above ground
Every dated Wyoming record falls between April and August, cresting in July with 11 and August with 10. Spotted ground squirrels pass the cold months in their burrows, so a summer-only calendar fits the animal’s real rhythm, not just observer habits. Still, with 29 records total, the shape of that calendar is a sketch, not a portrait.
A mismatch worth noting
The big-name refuges, Seedskadee, the National Elk Refuge, and the Yellowstone River corridor, sit in higher, wetter, greener country than this dry-country squirrel prefers, and none has produced a confirmed record. NatureServe ranks the species S3 in Wyoming, vulnerable, a cautious grade that suits a small, burrow-dwelling squirrel at the edge of its range, confirmed so far in only one corner of a very large state.
Full species profile
