Callospermophilus lateralis
Silhouette: Amanda Kuhlman · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) is a ground squirrel native to western North America. It is distributed in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and Alberta, and through much of the western United States.
This ground squirrel is generally about 23 to 29 cm (9.1 to 11.4 in) in length. The weight range for adults is between 120 and 394 grams (0.26 to 0.86 lbs.) It has whitish or yellow-gray underparts. The tail is brown to black with buff edges and a yellowish to reddish underside. It has pale rings around the eyes. The "mantle" across the shoulders is tawny to reddish, with males having a deeper reddish tinge. This species is distinguished from similar ground squirrels by a black-bordered white stripe down each side of the back and is distinguished from similar looking chipmunks by its lack of facial stripes.
Some authors describe many subspecies of this taxon. This species occurs in forests, chaparral, meadow margins, and sagebrush, especially in areas with many rocks or forest litter that provides shelter. It is associated with many kinds of coniferous trees, aspen, and manzanita.
It is omnivorous, feeding... Wikipedia →
Recording0:05
Canada · 2022
© Caleb Catto · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording6:35
United States · 2023
yklenner · iNaturalist · CC0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 1,819 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 27 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May to September
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden-mantled 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 10 parks where we can rate Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Banff National Park (Canada, about 70%) and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel that you can see in Rocky Mountain National Park (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Yellow-bellied Marmot (about 70%), Wyoming Ground Squirrel (about 40%) and American Red Squirrel (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Rocky Mountain National Park (1,819 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.
