Originally Posted by genesis27:3

These are not true prarie dogs.They are potguts,Or also known as uinta ground squrriles; Prarie dog...Attachment 9493Uinta ground squrriles...Attachment 9494


The Uinta ground squirrel, Spermophilus armatus, is a native of the northern Rocky Mountains and surrounding foothills of the United States including Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. Their habitat includes dry meadows, grasslands, and cultivated fields close to water.

The squirrels eat foods including seeds, green vegetation, insects, and meat. They are fully active for roughly 3 1/2 months in the spring and summer before beginning estivation and hibernation in burrows underground. During their active periods the squirrels are diurnal and often live in colonies.

The squirrels mate in the early spring and females give birth after about a month of gestation. Young leave the burrow at twenty-four days. Litters usually include four to six young with older females generally producing larger litters. Adults weigh between 285g–425g.