Spermophilus citellus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), also known as the European souslik, is a species from the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is among the few European species in the genus Spermophilus. Like all squirrels, it is a member of the rodent order. It is to be found in eastern and central Europe from southern Ukraine, to Asia Minor, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, North Macedonia and north as far as Poland but the range is divided in two parts by the Carpathian Mountains.
The European ground squirrel grows to a length of approximately 20 cm (8 in) and a weight of approximately 300 grams (11 oz). It is a diurnal animal, living in colonies of individual burrows in pastures or grassy embankments. The squirrels emerge during the day to feed upon seeds, plant shoots and roots or flightless invertebrates. The colonies maintain sentinels who whistle at the sight of a predator, bringing the pack scurrying back to safety.
Breeding takes place in early summer when a single litter of five to eight young is born. The European ground squirrel hibernates between autumn and March, the length of time depending on the climate. In preparation they will build up reserves of brown fat during the late summer. Wikipedia →
Recording0:08
Austria · 2025
© Felix Hohn · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:35
Romania · 2022
Patrascu Lucian · iNaturalist · CC0
Recording1:02
Austria · 2024
© mst_ · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 2 | Zoo Hluboka | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Zoo de Doué | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Nordens Ark | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 5 | Nuremberg Zoo | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Tiergarten Am Tiergarten 28 in Nürnberg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 7 | Schönbrunn Zoo | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 8 | Attica Zoological Park | 🇬🇷 Greece | |
| 9 | Le Cornelle | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 10 | Tiergarten Am Tiergarten 12 in Nürnberg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Tiergarten Am Tiergarten 14 in Nürnberg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 12 | Tiergarten Am Tiergarten 6 in Nürnberg | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Réserve Zoologique de Calviac | 🇫🇷 France |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a European Ground Squirrel sighting in Fertő-Hanság National Park on a given day, based on 386 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to August
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a European Ground Squirrel in Fertő-Hanság National Park on a given day, against about 10% in November to January, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most European Ground Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate European Ground Squirrel sightings, Fertő-Hanság National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the European Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Fertő-Hanság National Park (386 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.
