More Important Than They Seem: The Golden Mantled Ground Squirrel

A Golden Mantle in the San Juans captured by author Mary Grizzard

A Golden Mantle in the San Juans captured by author Mary Grizzard

They’re out and about for the season! But these charming little high-country mammals are not just roly-poly chipmunks. The golden mantled ground squirrel, which is often confused for a portly chipmunk, is one of five species of ground squirrels found in Colorado, and one of two that live at high elevations.When springtime temperatures rise and the ground thaws, male golden mantles pop ...

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