Common Name: Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel
Scientific Name: Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
Habitat: Open grasslands.
Diet: Omnivorous—seeds, roots, berries, insects, small mammals such as meadow voles, and carrion.
Interesting Facts:
Not native to Pennsylvania, this species was introduced when a pair escaped from captivity in 1919 around Polk, Venango County. By the time of the Pennsylvania Mammal Survey (1947–1952), scattered colonies existed in western Venango and northeastern Mercer counties. They were not known to have crossed any rivers, therefore distribution seems to be bounded on the north by French Creek, the south by Sandy Creek, and the east by the Allegheny River.