Warner Corner - March 2008

What's in a Name?
Jessi Kichak, Interpretive Naturalist Intern

Is there a nickname or other name you would like to be referred to as? This is a common question people are asked upon signing up for a new class or starting a new job. I find it quite amusing when a person has three different names he or she can be referred to as, when in the long run it is not that name that makes them who they are, but rather their unique characteristics. Animals are similar to humans and can also have several different nicknames, all depending on the position they are in with the name-caller.

Many folks around the twin cities area are quite fond of Goldy Gopher, the University of Minnesota's friendly rodent mascot. What most people don't realize at first is that Goldy is actually a local resident called the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, and maybe not so friendly after all. Its' burrowing and feeding methods can give many homeowners grief as it can cause significant damage to lawns and plants, turning this "friendly icon" into what most would call a "pest" or "vermin."

Please know that I am not here to tell you about all of the negative attributes that the "animal commonly mistaken for a chipmunk" has. No folks, I am actually going to attempt to change minds and maybe allow some appreciation for our friend, the "striped gopher." I am about to brag about all the incredible things this creature does in order to survive the cold Minnesota winter.

The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is one of the few animals in Minnesota that undergo true hibernation, laying to rest in September or early October and not waking up until between late March and early May. Before taking that nap that most of us would like to undergo ourselves, they gain up to 4 grams of fat a day in order to survive. During an active day in the summer, their hearts beat up to 350 times a minute; in hibernation, it only beats five times per minute. Summer months give the ground squirrel a body temperature the same as us, 37°C. During winter, it is only 1 to 3 degrees above the burrow's temperature. Their breathing drops from an average of 150 times a minute in the summer to between 1 and 4 times a minute during hibernation!

During the end of this month is when you begin to see these "Federation Squirrels" (the 13 stripes and dots apparently resemble the American flag to some) popping out of their burrows and beginning to mate. Mating creates even more baby "squinney." One thing to keep in mind before you start throwing your gardening tools into the trash is that 90% of newborns do not survive until fall to experience their first hibernation. Now that you know a bit more about the incredible feats these creatures put their bodies through every winter to survive, you probably feel a bit more sympathetic, right? Maybe now we won't be just cheering on the human-sized, stuffed Goldy when he is playing against the Badgers, but every fall when we see them getting fat and beginning to make their bed for the next six months, we will let "Go Goldy Go!" escape our mouths.