Wildlife in the Wind Series

Wildlife in the Wind Series

Sex Matters: The Life and Times of Male and Female Richardson’s Ground Squirrels

Did you know that male Richardson’s ground squirrels (a.k.a. “gophers”) are a rare commodity and most of the ground squirrels you see in spring are females? Did you know that males have short, lonely, brutish lives and are lucky to survive to the end of their first mating
season? Those that are still alive post-mating then enter hibernation in June! Females, on the other hand, are smaller, live longer, and form long-lasting amicable family bonds across several generations. None-the-less, in the ultimate terms of natural selection, one short-lived “sexy” son is potentially more valuable to a mother than a long-lived daughter. Find out why sexual identity plays a pivotal role in ground squirrel society.

 The Presenter

Gail Michener devoted her research career to understanding the biology of Richardson’s ground squirrels, colloquially and incorrectly known as “gophers”. For 25 years she studied a population of ground squirrels on her husband’s pedigreed grain farm near Picture Butte, Alberta. Gail credits the fact that she grew up in Australia for her ability to view Richardson’s ground squirrels as interesting research subjects, unbiased by the commonly held opinion that “gophers” are worthless agricultural pests.

Sponsored by the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society and the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists

The ASPB is not responsible for the content of this presentation; the information and views expressed by the presenter(s) are their own.