Kelly,

I live in the Mid-Yakima Valley, thus our sage rats must be Washington
ground squirrel. They are smaller than the Townsend's: short tail, long body
and bug-eyes. We have an orchard and they are a serious pest with their
underground tunnels. Gray diggers are also pests in our area, gray ground
squirrels with long bushy tails.

Sue
Zillah


At 09:04 AM 4/25/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Sue:
>
>Sage rat, hmm, that term often is used to refer to either Washington
>or Townsend's ground squirrel. Townsend's are on the west side of the
>Columbia River and Washington's are on the east side of the Columbia.
>Washington ground squirrel populations are have experienced marked declines
>with many colonies gone from the face of the earth. Interestingly, this
>species is only found in Washington and a smal area within Oregon so it
>is a true Pacific Northwest endemic, an example what is special and unique
>about our home land.
>
>The species was classified last weekend as Protected Wildlife via action
>of the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission. It is no longer legal to
>shoot or poison Washington ground squirrels without a permit.
>
>So, I am curious about where you observed the interaction between raven and
>squirrel, Sue. The ranges of these Columbia Basin ground squirrels are non-
>overlapping so it is quite reliable to infer species from location.
>
>I think Washington ground squirrels are also one of the cutest mammals around
>(but, then, I am quite fond of frogs and toads too).
>
>Kelly McAllister
>Olympia Washington
>
>
>