Franklin's ground squirrel - the decline of a species.

Franklin's ground squirrel at Wabamun Provincial Park, Alberta

I thought I was familiar with most of the squirrels in Canada.  It turns out that I have never seen or heard about one called Franklin's ground squirrel.  

It is not that common, appearing in a narrow swath across central Alberta, across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and down into the prairie regions of the central states.  I saw this one near the extent of its western range in Wabamun Provincial Park.  

Franklin's ground squirrels used to be fairly common in Alberta.  However, their numbers have been steadily declining due to habitat loss and population fracturing.  The prairie that it once thrived in has been converted to farms, towns, and roadways.  Most sightings now occur in protected areas, which is exactly where I saw this one.  As the areas where it lives constrict, there will be less and less genetic variation and the fewer numbers will likely produce inbreeding, a situation where recessive genes are more likely to be expressed that result in a weakened animal.

Below is a map of recent sightings of this squirrel.  Although this hardly represents a clear picture of where its populations exist, it does give a clue as to how dispersed the groups are.  

If you want to read more on the Franklin's ground squirrel, click here.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com