{"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_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"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":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-3749.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-9YD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67050,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/16\/uinta-ground-squirrels-have-emerged\/","url_meta":{"origin":38355,"position":0},"title":"Uinta Ground Squirrels Have Emerged!","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"I have taken thousands of photos of Uinta Ground Squirrels in green grasses, on rocks, climbing stumps, at their burrows, and in sagebrush but not a single image of them in the snow.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Young Uinta Ground Squirrel in spring grasses, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-young-grasses-mia-mcpherson-8605.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-young-grasses-mia-mcpherson-8605.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-young-grasses-mia-mcpherson-8605.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-young-grasses-mia-mcpherson-8605.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4603,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/03\/07\/richardsons-ground-squirrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":38355,"position":1},"title":"Richardson’s Ground Squirrels","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 7, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Farmers don't like Richardson's Ground Squirrels much, they dig holes that could break the legs on livestock and eat grains and the shoots of plants, I can understand those concerns. But I have to say... I love them, they are fun to watch and photograph.","rel":"","context":"In "Glacier County"","block_context":{"text":"Glacier County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/glacier-county\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Richardson's Ground Squirrel standing, Glacier County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/richardsons-ground-squirrel-montana-mia-mcpherson-7483.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/richardsons-ground-squirrel-montana-mia-mcpherson-7483.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/richardsons-ground-squirrel-montana-mia-mcpherson-7483.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-sitting-mia-mcpherson-3705.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-sitting-mia-mcpherson-3705.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-sitting-mia-mcpherson-3705.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-sitting-mia-mcpherson-3705.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":85045,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/04\/18\/its-time-to-look-for-uinta-ground-squirrels\/","url_meta":{"origin":38355,"position":3},"title":"It’s Time To Look For Uinta Ground Squirrels","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 18, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the time of the year when I look forward to taking my first of the season Uinta Ground Squirrel photos high in the Wasatch Mountains.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Uinta Ground Squirrel in golden light, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-golden-light-mia-mcpherson-0142.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Centennial Valley Uinta Ground Squirrel close up, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/uinta-ground-squirrel-upright-mia-mcpherson-5415.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":58306,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2019\/06\/02\/tis-the-season-for-uinta-ground-squirrel-babies\/","url_meta":{"origin":38355,"position":5},"title":"‘Tis The Season For Uinta Ground Squirrel Babies","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I've been seeing baby Uinta Ground Squirrels and two days ago I was finally able to photograph some of the cute little balls of fur near their burrow.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Calling Uinta Ground Squirrel baby, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, 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