ground squirrel

noun

Updated on: 17 Apr 2018

Definition of ground squirrel

: any of various burrowing North American and Eurasian rodents (especially genus Spermophilus) of the squirrel family that often live in colonies especially in open areas (such as grasslands) — called also spermophile

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Recent Examples of ground squirrel from the Web

The main culprit is the California ground squirrel, which is native to the region.

— phil diehl, latimes.com, "Squirrels have overrun some coastal cities and lost their fear of humans, officials say," 25 Mar. 2018
The main culprit is the California ground squirrel, which is native to the region.

— phil diehl, sandiegouniontribune.com, "It's getting a little squirrelly at the coast," 25 Mar. 2018
And humans share genes that give ground squirrels their distinctive stripes.

— NBC News, "Why don't elephants get cancer? New gene study explains," 7 Mar. 2018
There are Arctic ground squirrels, whose bodies drop to the lowest temperatures ever measured in mammals during their seven to eight months’ worth of hibernation per year.

— erin blakemore, Washington Post, "Jellyfish sleep despite lacking a brain, and other stories about animals at rest," 6 Mar. 2018
The prey base for the birds — ground squirrels and rabbits — lived on the flats.

— steve stuebner, idahostatesman, "It’s time to celebrate Morley Nelson’s legacy — and the birds of prey he loved | Idaho Statesman," 26 Feb. 2018
O'Dea and his friends were on lawn chairs, shooting at ground squirrels.

— maxine bernstein, OregonLive.com, "Panel: Former Police Chief Larry O'Dea's 'failure of leadership' didn't warrant yanking certification," 15 Feb. 2018
The grizzly bear on a slope to the west enlarged his excavation of the mountain, determined to have the ground squirrel below for supper.

— steve meyer, Anchorage Daily News, "I cannot reasonably object to drilling in ANWR," 7 Feb. 2018
And all three occur because of Yersinia pestis—a species of bacteria carried by fleas that live on rodents like ground squirrels, rats, mice and prairie dogs.

— erin blakemore, Smithsonian, "Plague Infects Three People in New Mexico," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ground squirrel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.