Urocitellus parryii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) (Inuktitut: ᓯᒃᓯᒃ, siksik) is a species of ground squirrel in the squirrel family Sciuridae that is native to the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in North America and Asia. For some people in Alaska, particularly around the Aleutian Islands, the rodents are known as "parka" squirrels, likely due to their pelts being used for the ruff on parkas and other cold-weather clothing.
Lawrence Island ground squirrel Wikipedia →
Recording0:08
Canada · 2024
© Bruce Bennett · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:28
United States · 2019
© Mike Duran · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:08
United States · 2024
© campwebb12 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 90% of wildlife watchers report an Arctic Ground Squirrel sighting in Denali National Park on a given day, based on 446 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 19 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July–August and October
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report an Arctic Ground Squirrel in Denali National Park on a given day, against about 20% in April, the lowest month. Those are among Denali National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in April. November to February have too few records to rate.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Arctic 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 4 parks where we can rate Arctic Ground Squirrel sightings, Denali National Park has the highest daily chance: about 90%. Next come Kluane National Park (Canada, about 60%) and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (United States, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Arctic Ground Squirrel that you can see in Denali National Park (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are American Red Squirrel (about 80%) and Hoary Marmot (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Arctic Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Denali National Park (446 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
