Spermophilus citellus
European ground squirrel

Southeast Germany; Czech Republic; Slovakia; Southwest Poland through Southeast Europe to European Turkey; Moldova; Ukraine

European sousliks inhabit open landscapes. They prefer to live in prairies and steppes, rocky country, open woodlands, abandoned farms, and desert mountain ranges (Nowak, 1991). They avoid wet areas, the banks of permanent waters, or any type of wet areas created by accumulated water. (Parker, 1990). They are not found in areas with a dense forest cover (Nowak, 1991).

The European souslik has a slender but strong body. The legs are relatively short; the forelegs and hind legs are about the same length (Parker, 1990). The back is yellow-gray and densily covered by whitish-yellow speckles or dots. The dots disappear on the sides of the body, and the belly is yellow. The chin and the throat are white. The European souslik has short and smooth body hair which becomes straighter and stiffer in winter (Parker, 1990). The external ears of the European souslik are flat. The forehead is broad and flat, causing the large eyes to be far apart. The cheek pouches are rather small. The tail is short, measuring about 3.8-7.4cm, and is coated with hair (Parker, 1990).

European sousliks are active during the day. They dig and live in lodges of two types. One is the permanent den, in which they spend nights or the entire winter. The other is a temporary, protective hole which serves as a refuge or for a short rest (Parker, 1990). European sousliks hibernate. Before hibernating, they clog up the entrance to the lodge with soil and build a tunnel that extends to near the surface and contains a chamber, but no nesting material. After waking up from hibernation, sousliks either open up the clogged tunnel or dig themselves out from the side tunnel directly to the surface (Parker, 1990). The old males start to hibernate in the first half of August while the adult females continue to remain outside until the first half of September. European souslik are rarely seen outdoors as late as November (Parker, 1990).

European sousliks bring food into the lodge for consumption, and they provide food for the young. However, they never store any supplies for the winter (Parker, 1990).

European sousliks are solitary in their burrows; however, they are colonial in the sense that they build their burrows close together. This helps in protecting them from predators (Caspers, 1997).

The European souslik feeds primarily on vegetation, nuts, seeds, and grains; however, individuals may also consume small invertebrates, small vertebrates, and birds'eggs (Emanoil, 1994; Nowak, 1991).

The European souslik has been declining rapidly in Europe because of the destruction of habitat through intensification of agriculture and large-scale reallotment of land. The species may now be extinct in some area. European sousliks are protected in Hungary and Poland. However, throughout this range, edge populations are steadily decreasing (Emanoil, 1994). Although European sousliks are disappearing in Europe, they are still common in other countries (Parker, 1990).

The European souslik is also known as plain squirrel because its inconspicuous coloration makes its silhouette blend with the surroundings. Spermophilus citellus is sometimes known as Citellus citellus.