The northern Idaho ground squirrel (Urocitellus brunneus) has been listed as federally threatened on the endangered species list for almost two decades. This species resides on Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) land in Adams and Valley counties in southwestern Idaho. Habitat loss is a major threat to this species. Land use and fire exclusion are two factors that negatively affect this species’ habitat. Northern Idaho ground squirrel reside in open xeric meadows with corridors. They are active four to five months out of the year and spend the rest of the year hibernating. Several studies characterize the northern Idaho ground squirrel preferred habitat. However, less is known about the species’ hibernacula locations and characteristics. The goal of this study was to compare known hibernacula characteristics with random sites without hibernacula. Within our three study sites, there were 57 hibernacula with 30 random sites generated using ArcGIS. Characteristics measured at hibernacula and random sites included soil depth within a 1-meter radius and shrub distribution, canopy cover, and fallen log distribution within a 10-meter radius.
Results/Conclusions
To date, we have analyzed the differences between hibernacula and random sites for soil depth and canopy cover. Hibernacula sites had greater soil depth compared to random sites; the average soil depth at hibernacula was 0.66 meters (+/- 0.10) and the average soil depth at random sites was 0.46 meters (+/- 0.20). Two of the three sites did not differ in canopy cover between hibernacula and random sites, while canopy cover averaged 53% at hibernacula sites compared to 36% around random sites in the 3rd study site. These preliminary results suggest that the northern Idaho ground squirrel is choosing hibernacula in areas with deeper soil. Additional research on northern Idaho ground squirrel’s hibernacula will aid managers in their efforts to create suitable hibernacula habitat for this threatened species.