Urocitellus parryii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Arctic Ground Squirrel sighting in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 9 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Arctic Ground Squirrel in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April–May and September, the lowest months. Those are among Wrangell-St. Elias National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain a month against 25 mm in April. October to March 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.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Arctic Ground Squirrel sightings, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park ranks 3rd at about 40%. The best odds are in Denali National Park (United States, about 90%) and Kluane National Park (Canada, about 60%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Arctic Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (9 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.
