Baby Ground Squirrels Endemic to Anatolia – Hakan Gür (2020)

They indeed are Meerkat look-alikes. But no they are not Meerkats. Locally they are known as “Gelengi”. Scientifically, they are the Anatolian ground squirrels (Spermophilus xanthophrymnus). In this short observation you can see 5 juveniles that are reported to be approximately 5-6 weeks old hanging out in their nest entrance. A Turkish research team lead by Dr. Hakan Gür who studies their population dynamics recorded the observation on May 8th 2020 near Ankara.

Female ground squirrels mate soon after they wake up from their winter hibernation that lasts about 7 months. Observations from this nest indicate that this particular female must have mated in early March of 2020. You have guessed it right, the gestation period is quite short only about 25 days. On average, a female gives birth to between 4-5 offspring. The juveniles spend their first 4 weeks entirely underground.

Biologists have defined two other very closely related but reproductively isolated species of ground squirrels. The European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) is found in eastern Europe. The Taurus ground squirrel (Spermophilus taurensis) lives in a rather restricted region of mountains of southern Anatolia and are endemic. The Anatolian ground squirrel can also be considered endemic although small populations exist in steppes of western Armenia and northwestern Iran.

Anatolian Ground Squirrel – Spermophilus xanthophrymnus – Gelengi from Uzay Sezen on Vimeo.