Library Index :: Wildlife Extinction and Endangered Species :: Endangered Mammals - Levels Of Endangerment, The Black-footed Ferret, Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel, Wolves, Bears And Pandas

Endangered Mammals - Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel

The Northern Idaho ground squirrel was listed as a threatened species in April 2000. It occurs only in two counties in Idaho. The species was initially listed after the population dropped from 5,000 individuals in 1985 to less than 1,000 in 1998. In 2002, an estimated 450–500 ground squirrels were believed to exist. Figure 7.2 shows the historical range of the species as well as current primary and secondary populations.

The Northern Idaho ground squirrel is threatened primarily by habitat loss. It occupies dry rocky meadows at moderate elevation which have been increasingly lost to forest encroachment. Other factors leading to its threatened status include shooting by humans, poisoning, natural events, and competition from the Columbian ground squirrel, a larger species. The listing factors and recovery action recommendations, from the recovery plan completed in July 2003, appear in Table 7.2.

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