Urocitellus richardsonii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii), also known as the dakrat or flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus. Like a number of other ground squirrels, they are sometimes called prairie dogs or gophers, though the latter name belongs more strictly to the pocket gophers of family Geomyidae, and the former to members of the genus Cynomys.
This squirrel was named after the Scottish naturalist Sir John Richardson. North Dakota is nicknamed the Flickertail state after the squirrel. The nickname Dakrat is derived from "Dakota Rat" and is a commonly used name around Minot, North Dakota and on Minot Air Force Base.
Native to the short grass prairies, Richardson's ground squirrel is found mainly in the northern states of the United States, such as North Dakota and Montana, and in western Canada, including central and southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and southern Manitoba. The range of this animal expanded as forests were cleared to create farmland. They are not simply restricted to prairie; sometimes they adapt to suburban environments, causing them to be seen as pests because of the burrows they dig. It is... Wikipedia →
Recording0:16
Canada · 2026
© morkenne · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:11
Canada · 2025
© Maianthemum · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Canada · 2024
© nafisachalchal · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Green World Ecological Farm | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 2 | Gunma Safari Park | 🇯🇵 Japan |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Richardson's Ground Squirrel sighting in Calgary on a given day, based on 751 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 7th most-seen of the 25 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to July
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Richardson's Ground Squirrel in Calgary on a given day, against under 5% in November to January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Richardson's Ground Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Richardson's Ground Squirrel sightings, Calgary has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Edmonton (Canada, about 10%).
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Richardson's Ground Squirrel that you can see in Calgary (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 40%) and American Red Squirrel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Richardson's Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Calgary (751 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
