Understanding the ground squirrel

trevor.kenney — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:59:58 +0000

Richardson's ground squirrels, better known as gophers, are an iconic symbol of the prairies and their emergence serves as a telltale sign of spring. But to many, they are considered pests, a nuisance and a species best done away with.

"When I came to Canada in 1968, I had just come from Australia and didn't have any preconceived ideas about the Richardson's ground squirrel. I thought, 'look at these neat little critters,'" Dr. Gail Michener recalls.

While personally fascinated by the ground squirrel, Michener quickly discovered that very little was known about the species despite their prevalence on the plains.

"Canadians could tell me all sorts of ways to kill them, but they couldn't tell me anything about their basic biology," Michener says. "It was not known when the ground squirrel mated, how long their gestation period was, and how many litters a year they produced or how long they lived."

In the following years, that has changed – something that can largely be credited to Michener, who devoted her 30-year career at the U of L to understanding the furry mammal.

As Michener explains, we now know that Richardson's ground squirrels play a very important role in our natural ecosystem, providing a food source for many predator species and creating burrows that serve as homes for other organisms while also allowing water to infiltrate the soil.

While Michener officially retired from the U of L last year, she remains actively involved in the research of ground squirrels in a variety of ways, including the development of future researchers. This past fall, she and her husband, Dr. Dan
Michener, funded a post-doctoral fellowship to support further studies in the field of terrestrial ecology.

"In the very modest way I could afford, I wanted to remind my department, my institution and my community at large, that we are a prairie university and that most of the organisms around us are terrestrial and have adapted to live in a dry environment," Michener explains.

Dr. Hakan Gür, who received his PhD from the Hacettepe ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and is an assistant professor at the Ahi Evran ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ in Turkey, was chosen by a three-member selection committee as the first fellowship recipient. Gür says that the environment surrounding the
U of L, combined with the prospect to work closely with Michener, was an incredible opportunity.

"I had studied the Anatolian ground squirrel prior to coming to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge. During that time, I was often in contact with Dr. Michener, who served as a great resource and support. To work collaboratively with her is an honour," Gür says.

Here for a minimum of one year, Gür will combine the information he collects with Michener's long-term data set to determine if climate change is affecting the timing of the life cycle of Richardson's ground squirrels.

"Hakan brings his own interests and has a certain set of knowledge and biostatistical expertise that I don't have," Michener says. "It's been delightful to work with him. He is building on what I have done and will blend the information he's collecting this year with the information from the past to benefit the greater scientific community."

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Understanding the ground squirrel

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