The Arctic ground squirrel lives in colonies in tundra and other northern habitats across Alaska, northern Canada and eastern Siberia, and overwinters underground.
Its back is grey to brown with white speckles; its face and sides are reddish, the fur around the eyes is pale, and its tail is short and bushy.
On Alaska’s Seward Peninsula, researchers surveyed 983 points in 2019, 2021 and 2022. They counted 80 Arctic ground squirrels at 42 points, with a patchy distribution across the study area. Modelled densities were higher at greater elevations and in places with more sparse vegetation and low shrubs.
Arctic ground squirrels are prey for Gyrfalcons and part of the tundra food web. In an analysis of 97 Gyrfalcon territories, the probability that a territory was occupied increased with squirrel density. The researchers also found that squirrels were more abundant in some areas than others and identified shrub expansion as a possible pressure on the open habitats used by the species.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
On the Seward Peninsula, Gyrfalcon occupancy was more likely in territories with higher Arctic ground squirrel densities. Squirrels were recorded at 42 of 983 survey points and had a patchy distribution. The authors noted that shrub expansion may make the open habitat less suitable for this species.