{"id":38355,"date":"2016-04-14T06:29:47","date_gmt":"2016-04-14T12:29:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=38355"},"modified":"2026-03-07T09:15:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-07T15:15:49","slug":"uinta-and-richardsons-ground-squirrels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/04\/14\/uinta-and-richardsons-ground-squirrels\/","title":{"rendered":"Uinta and Richardson’s Ground Squirrels"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AlertAlert Uinta Ground Squirrel – Nikon D7100, f8, 1\/1600, ISO 500, +0.7 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I try to keep up with name changes, whether common or scientific, when it comes to birds and the great people at the ABA<\/a><\/span> help tremendously with that by sending out emails with proposed changes and the changes that have been approved.<\/p>\n

But I haven’t been able to find a single web site where it makes it easy to know when a species of mammals has been reclassified or renamed. I wish there were one. (Update, there is now, iNaturalist<\/span><\/a>)<\/p>\n

Just recently I was working up a few Uinta Ground Squirrel images<\/a><\/span> and had gone on line to search for more information about them and Wikipedia<\/a><\/span> has their scientific name listed as Urocitellus armatus<\/em> and I knew they used to be Spermophilus armatus.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

\"PairPair of Richardson’s Ground Squirrels – Nikon D200, f16, 1\/250, ISO 400, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

So then I searched Richardson’s Ground Squirrels<\/span><\/a> because I also have photographs of them and Wikipedia<\/a><\/span> now has their scientific name listed as Urocitellus richardsonii<\/em> and they used to be Spermophilus richardsonii.
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

I don’t know when the scientific names for ground squirrels changed even though I tried to find that information on line.<\/p>\n

\"UintaUinta Ground Squirrel at Red Rock Lakes NWR Headquarters – Nikon D300, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 400, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 200-400mm VR with 1.4x TC at 400mm, natural light
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

I looked on line at the web site of the Natural History Museum of Utah<\/a><\/span> and they have the genus of ground squirrels listed as Urocitellus<\/em> instead of Spermophilus<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And by doing more research I found out that Uinta and Richardson’s Ground Squirrels and the rest of the ground squirrels in North America have been changed to Urocitellus. <\/em><\/p>\n

Because I do photograph wildlife when I have the opportunity I guess I need to check for name changes and reclassifications in the Kingdom Animalia too.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Uinta Ground Squirrel photos plus facts and information about this species. Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Richardson\u2019s Ground Squirrel photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By doing more research I found out that Uinta and Richardson’s Ground Squirrels and the rest of the ground squirrels in North America have been changed to Urocitellus. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171530,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1513,223,860,12,608,319,1630],"tags":[5090,1631,5071,5087,4045,5089,3826,3827,5088,2619,2620,4331],"class_list":["post-38355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-centennial-valley","category-glacier-county","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","category-richardsons-ground-squirrel","category-uinta-ground-squirrel","tag-genus","tag-ground-squirrel","tag-ground-squirrels","tag-reclassification","tag-richardsons-ground-squirrel","tag-scientific-name","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-taxonomy","tag-uinta-ground-squirrel-2","tag-urocitellus-armatus","tag-urocitellus-richardsonii"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t