Arctic Ground Squirrel

About the Arctic Ground Squirrel

The Arctic ground squirrel (Urocitellus parryii) (Inuktitut: ᓯᒃᓯᒃ, siksik) is a species of ground squirrel in the squirrel family Sciuridae that is native to the Arctic and Subarctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in North America and Asia. For some people in Alaska, particularly around the Aleutian Islands, the rodents are known as "parka" squirrels, likely due to their pelts being used for the ruff on parkas and other cold-weather clothing.

Subspecies listed alphabetically. U. p. ablusus Osgood, 1903 U. p. kennicottii Ross, 1861 – Barrow ground squirrel (Northern Alaska, N. Yukon and N. Northwest Territories) U. p. kodiacensis Ross, 1861 – Kodiak Island ground squirrel

U. p. leucostictus Brandt, 1844 U. p. lyratus Hall and Gilmore, 1932 – St. Lawrence Island ground squirrel U. p. nebulicola Osgood, 1903 – Shumagin Islands ground squirrel (Aleutians East Borough; islands of Koniuji, Korovin, Nagai, Popof, Simeonof, Unga)

U. p. osgoodi Merriam, 1900 – Osgood's Arctic ground squirrel (south of the Brooks Range in Alaska, near Fort Yukon and Circle) U. p. parryii Richardson, 1825 U. p. plesius Osgood, 1900 U. p. stejnegeri J. A. Allen, 1903 Wikipedia →