Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel

The Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel, Callospermophilus saturatus, is a rodent in the family Sciuridae and the largest of the three species in the genus Callospermophilus. It is found in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and Washington, United States, north of the Columbia River, south of the Tulameen River and west of the Similkameen River. It is larger than its relatives C. madrensis and C. lateralis and has a vague russet colour outlining its head and shoulders. The Columbia River isolates it from its sister species, the golden-mantled ground squirrel, and their differentiation is likely due to allopatric speciation. Young are ectothermic at birth and gradually become homeothermic, leaving their burrows at about 36 days, and litters of three to five are the norm. The species has its own dialect of alarm calls, and the IUCN Red List assesses it as Least Concern.