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Section of Mammals

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

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Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)

August 24, 2017 by

Ictidomys tridecemlineatus
Pennsylvania Counties for Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel

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.

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