Asia Minor ground squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Asia Minor ground squirrel |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Spermophilus
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| Species: |
xanthoprymnus
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The Asia Minor ground squirrel (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus), also known as the Anatolian souslik, is a small rodent that lives in the ground. It's part of the Sciuridae family, which includes squirrels. You can find these busy creatures in countries like Armenia, Iran, and Turkey. Their scientific name, Spermophilus xanthoprymnus, roughly means "seed-lover with yellow underparts."
Contents
What Do They Look Like?
Like many other ground squirrels, the Asia Minor ground squirrel has a round body and head. They have short limbs and a short tail. Male squirrels are usually bigger than females. Males are about 25 to 29 centimeters (10 to 11 inches) long. They weigh between 235 to 490 grams (8 to 17 ounces). Females are a bit smaller, around 23 to 28 centimeters (9 to 11 inches) long. They weigh 170 to 410 grams (6 to 14 ounces). Their tail is quite short, about 3 to 6 centimeters (1 to 2 inches) long.
Fur Color and Markings
Their fur is mostly one color across their body. It doesn't have the darker spots you might see on other ground squirrels. Asia Minor ground squirrels are usually a buff (light brownish-yellow) color. Their fur can also be greyish or even dark brown. Their belly and legs are often a lighter, yellowish shade. The only clear markings they have are thin white rings around their eyes. They also have a white patch on their chin and throat.
Where Do They Live and What Do They Eat?
Asia Minor ground squirrels live across central and eastern Anatolia in Turkey. Their home range also stretches into Iran and Armenia. You won't find them much near the coast or in European Turkey. They prefer to live in steppe areas (large, flat grasslands) and alpine meadows. These areas are usually high up, between 800 and 2,900 meters (2,600 to 9,500 feet) above sea level.
Their Diet
These squirrels mainly eat seeds, leaves, and shoots from tough plants. Some of their favorite foods include cocklebur, star-thistle, shepherd's purse, mustard, wild onion, and wild grains. They also enjoy eating crops grown by farmers. Even though they mostly eat plants, they might also snack on small insects. They rarely drink water directly. Instead, they get all the water they need from the plants they eat.
Natural Enemies
Many animals hunt Asia Minor ground squirrels. Their natural predators include eagle owls, buzzards, falcons, and red foxes.
How Do They Behave?
Asia Minor ground squirrels are active during the day. This means they are diurnal animals. They live in burrows they dig underground. They also hibernate (sleep through) the winter months.
Their Burrows
Their everyday burrows are simple tunnels. These tunnels are usually about 21 to 57 centimeters (8 to 22 inches) deep. However, burrows they use for nesting or for sleeping through winter can be much deeper. These special burrows might go down as far as 219 centimeters (86 inches). They can also have extra entrances and deep rooms for nests and storing food.
Hibernation
They usually hibernate from September to March. The exact time depends on how cold the local weather gets. During hibernation, they don't just sleep straight through. They have periods of deep sleep called torpor that can last up to two weeks. During this time, their body temperature drops a lot. Then, they wake up for short periods before going back to sleep.
How Do They Reproduce?
Asia Minor ground squirrels mate underground soon after they wake up from hibernation. This usually happens in March or April. During mating season, male squirrels travel around to find several females. They might even fight with other males to get a chance to mate.
Baby Squirrels
Female squirrels have one litter of babies each year. A litter usually has three to nine young, but most often it's four or five. The mother carries the babies for about 25 days before they are born. When they are born, the young squirrels are blind and have no fur. They weigh only about 5 to 7 grams (0.18 to 0.25 ounces). Their fur starts to grow when they are about 15 days old. Their eyes open when they are 22 to 25 days old. By four weeks of age, they begin to leave the burrow. They are fully weaned (stop drinking milk from their mother) by seven weeks.
How Have They Changed Over Time?
Scientists have found fossils of Asia Minor ground squirrels from a very long time ago. These fossils date back to the early Pleistocene era. Some fossils were found as far west as Chios, an island. This suggests that these squirrels used to live in a much wider area than they do today.
Studies show that this species separated from its closest relatives about five million years ago. These relatives include the European souslik and the Taurus ground squirrel. This timing matches when the Bosporus strait formed, which separated Anatolia from Europe. During the last ice age, they might have survived in small mountain areas where the climate was milder.
Why Are They Important to Protect?
Asia Minor ground squirrels sometimes eat farm crops like grains. Because of this, farmers in many areas see them as pests. Sadly, this means they might be poisoned. As farming has grown in central Anatolia, the number of ground squirrels has dropped. Their populations went down by 20–25% in the first ten years of the 2000s.
Conservation Status
Because of this decline, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) changed their status in 2009. They are now considered "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List. Before this, they were listed as "Least Concern". This means they are now closer to being endangered. Luckily, Asia Minor ground squirrels also have legal protection in Turkey.
