Coming Out

Natural History, March, 2000 by Richard Milner

An Arctic ground squirrel in ALaska surveys the thawing Landscape from beneath a retreating snowbank--a sure sign of spring. Ranging from Alaska to the Hudson Bay area of northeastern Canada, the species is adapted to Long, harsh winters, short growing seasons, permafrost, and Limited cover. Active foragers in summer, these ground squirrels scour the terrain for berries, seeds, Leaves, grasses, and tubers. But in fall they retreat to underground burrows, which they line with grasses and sedges, for a seven-month period of dormancy.

Males emerge in mid-April, when they establish territories that they defend against rivals. Females appear above ground shortly thereafter and take up residence in a male's territory. A territorial male typically impregnates several females, and litters of six to eight young are born in early June.

Hibernators without peer, Arctic ground squirrels can withstand temperatures below 30 [degrees] F for months at a time, to all appearances frozen solid. How they are able to survive without suffering extensive cell damage is a mystery that has long intrigued physiologists.