Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Also known as Cascade Ground Squirrel, Cascade Golden-Mantled Squirrel

Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrels spend their short high-elevation summers foraging voraciously on seeds, fungi, and foliage to build heavy fat reserves for up to eight months of deep winter hibernation. Often mistaken for chipmunks, they lack facial stripes and display bold copper-orange shoulders that contrast sharply with twin white stripes along their back. Their extensive underground burrow networks anchor mountain meadow ecosystems by aerating soil and providing shelter for other alpine organisms.