Distribution, Abundance, and Habitat Associations of Franklin’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus franklinii Sabine 1822)

Abstract

To better inform conservation and management strategies directed at Franklin’s ground squirrel, Spermophilus franklinii, I reviewed published and unpublished accounts of the squirrel’s distribution, abundance, and principally, habitat associations. I present the body of literature on S. franklinii and include portions of original accounts to avoid potential bias from paraphrasing. A consensus of the literature indicates that S. franklinii is most frequently associated with habitat characterized by a mixture of grassy and woody vegetation, referred to as savanna-like or parkland habitat. Moreover, S. franklinii has had an affinity for this type of habitat throughout its geographic range in recent, historic, and even prehistoric times. This is in contrast to a view of the species as primarily associated with tallgrass prairie habitat. As indicated in the literature, populations of S. franklinii are subject to marked fluctuations, which probably are influenced by local disturbances in addition to regular dispersal events. In the southern part of its geographic range, S. franklinii is currently limited in its occurrence principally to roadside and railroad right-of-ways. In these southern regions S. franklinii is justifiably of conservation concern. I suggest that more detailed surveys for the species (such as those that have recently occurred in Illinois and Missouri) take place in Iowa and Kansas.