About Urocitellus undulatus (Pallas, 1778)
Urocitellus undulatus, commonly known as the long-tailed ground squirrel, has a compact, low-slung body, short legs, and a long bushy tail. Its body can reach up to 315 millimetres (12.4 in) in length, while its tail can grow to 160 millimetres (6.3 in). The species' back is brown, marked with a linear pattern of small dark spots. Its underparts are a paler ochre-brown, with a reddish tinge running along the sides. The tail has alternating brown and black bars, a prominent light edge stripe, and a pale tip. This species occurs across a range that extends from Southern Siberia and the Altai region of Russia to Manchuria, covering habitats including submontane steppes up to 3,100 metres (10,200 ft), plains, meadows, edges of pine and birch forests, clearings, and agricultural land. Two isolated populations of Urocitellus undulatus exist in Eastern Siberia: one in southeastern Yakutia, and the other in the southern Amur region. It is also found in Mongolia, and in the northwestern and northeastern parts of China.
