The thirteen-lined ground squirrel has alternating dark and light stripes, with spots in the dark stripes. In Texas it uses underground burrows in grassland and pasture, and its food changes with the season.
Its back usually has 13 alternating dark and pale stripes, with squarish spots in the dark stripes. Its ears are small, and the underside of the tail is russet at the base.
In Texas it burrows in short-grass prairie, pasture, and along field boundaries. It is active by day. After emerging from hibernation, it eats green grasses and herbs in early spring; seeds, flower heads, and insects become more important as the season advances.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.