Only one litter of from four to seven young is born each season, usually during May.
Their food consists of seeds, grain, buds, green vegetation, insects and their larvae, and occasionally young birds, eggs and mice. Chief enemies are hawks and the various small carnivores.
General description: A small to medium sized ground-dwelling squirrel, larger and more robust than chipmunks but not as heavily built as the Uinta Ground Squirrel. Tail about half as long as the head and body, flat and bushy. Color of upper parts dark chestnut red mantle bordering which are light-gray stripes with black on either side of the light stripe; under parts yellow to yellowish-white. Upper parts grayer in winter. No stripes on side of head. Length about 11 inches. Sexes alike.
Where found: Generally distributed over the park and is best seen around camps and woodland margins. Active in daytime only.
UINTA GROUND SQUIRREL
Citellus armatus
This Ground Squirrel, commonly called Picket-pin, is abundant throughout most of the open, grassy valleys of the park. It comes into lawns and frequently lives under nearby buildings.
The picket-pin is extremely curious and the sight of any strange object or movement immediately has him standing rigidly on tip-toe to examine whatever attracted his attention. This position he assumes does so resemble the appearance of a pin to which some horse was previously tethered that the reason for the origin of his name can readily be seen.
These little animals spend over half of their lives sleeping in their snug underground nests. They spend the summer accumulating a heavy layer of fat and then go into hibernation late in August to emerge the following April.
The young, from five to fourteen in number, are born in May or June. Only one litter a year is born; however, this species is so numerous and prolific that its many enemies can hardly keep it in check.
Most common enemies are badgers, coyotes, bears, foxes, weasels, hawks and most small carnivores. These all depend upon the picket-pin for at least part if not considerable of their diet during the summer and they frequently are dug out after they are in hibernation. This control is beneficial since the picket-pin is a host to the wood tick carrying spotted fever.