Susliks, or Spermophilus, are a unique genus of ground squirrels belonging to the family Sciuridae (rodents).
As defined traditionally, this genus was species-rich, and it ranged through Asia, Europe, and North America.
However, this arrangement was paraphyletic to the distinct marmots, prairie dogs, and antelope squirrels.
As a result, all the former Spermophilus species native to North America have been transferred to other genera, leaving only the Asian and European species as true Spermophilus.
Scientific Classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Sciuridae
- Tribe: Marmotini
- Genus: Spermophilus
Habitat and Behavior
Suslicks are typical ground squirrels, so they are expected to live in open habitats such as meadows, grasslands, steppe, and semi-deserts, depend on the low plants for food, and use burrows as their nests and refuge.
Suslicks are diurnal and mostly live in small to large colonies, although it is not uncommon for some species to occur singly. They are mostly found in lowlands but also well distributed in highlands.
One exciting thing about these animals is their ability to hibernate during the colder months yearly (this lasts up to 81⁄2 months every year in some species). Also, some species in arid regions may be aestivated during fall or the summer.
There is a mostly separated distribution of the various Suslik species, often by large rivers. Still, certain regions are inhabited by up to three species, and on rare occasions, two species may form mixed colonies.
A few species are known to hybridize in cases where their ranges meet or come into contact.
Appearance
Spermophilus or susliks are grayish, yellowish, light orangish, or light brownish overall.
Although there are so many that are inconspicuously spotted, mottled or feature orange markings on the head, they generally lack strong patterns, aside in the S. suslicus specie, which commonly features a brown upperpart with some bold white spotting.
Size
Size usually varies with suslik species, and they mostly have a head-and-body length of around 17–40 cm (6.7–15.7 in). Naturally, before hibernation, an S. fulvus ( the largest size) may weigh as much as 2 kg (4.4 lb), while the largest S. major may weigh up to 1.4 kg (3.1 lb).
Nevertheless, these rodents always weigh much less in the earlier parts of the year, and other slick species are much smaller in size, mostly below 0.5 kg (1.1 lb), even when they are at peak condition right before hibernation.
When it comes to tail appearances, all susliks generally have a relatively short tail, and that—depending on the exact species—is often around 10–45% of the head-and-body length.
Relationship With Humans
It is not uncommon for ground squirrels to carry fleas capable of transmitting diseases to humans, so you can expect that from susliks. Also, these nutcrackers are destructive in tunneling right under human habitation.
You can learn more about other kinds of squirrels on this blog. Kindly let us know your thoughts.