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| Common Name: | European souslik | Family: | Sciuridae |
| Latin Name: | Spermophilus citellus | Diet: | Omnivore |
| Type: | Mammal | Habitat: | Woodlands, Grasslands |
| Native To: | Europe , Asia | Social Unit: | Group |
| IUCN Red List Status: | Vulnerable |
European sousliks at Edinburgh Zoo
Here at Edinburgh Zoo we have a group of 12 European souslik. Our original group of five males and three females came to us from Dresden Zoo in August 2006.
European sousliks in the wild
The European souslik (Spermophilus citellus) is also known as the European ground squirrel. As their name suggests, they can be found throughout Europe, with a range from the Czech Republic, Germany, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey to the Ukraine. They are also found further east in Asia. They live in grass covered meadows, embankments and rocky woodlands.
Although slim, the souslik has a strong body and somewhat short legs. They are mostly grey and brown in colour with dark markings and spots over their body.
Both social and independent, the souslik live in large groups within a complex nest of burrows although each souslik family has their own home. Living in groups provides protection from predators as lookouts whistle whenever danger approaches alerting the group to find safety underground.
Souslik are active during the day and sleep at night. They hibernate through the winter where they draw on their reserves of fat which they have accumulated from their summer foraging. The souslik have a mixed diet of seeds, nuts, grains, plants, bird’s eggs and insects.
After a gestation period of approximately four weeks the female souslik gives birth to between two to nine young. The infant sousliks are born both blind and deaf and are cared for only by the mother. At a month old the infants are able to see, hear and are weaned.
Although protected in Hungary and Poland, the European souslik is at risk due to habitat destruction for agriculture and land development. For this reason, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed this species as Vulnerable, meaning that it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
IUCN Red List category: Vulnerable.
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