ABSTRACT
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are found most commonly inhabiting open grassy areas that are prevented from undergoing ecological succession. Likely sites include short-grass prairies, cemeteries, golf courses, and parks. The snare technique may be used to census small concentrated populations of ground squirrels. Although such areas lend themselves to unobscured visual assessment of ground squirrel populations, individuals are constantly moving into and out of their burrows which complicates most visual census techniques. The playing of the young distress calls will enable one to directly count the number of lactating females present in a population. The estimated number of lactating females may then be used to predict total population numbers upon the emergence of weaned young. Adults are difficult to capture with baited traps when natural foods are abundant, and newly emerged young seldom enter conventional traps.
