File talk:Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel, Mount Rainier, July 2006.jpg

There is an identification problem:

The picture is named "Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel" (Spermophilus lateralis) but it looks like a "Cascade Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel" (Spermophilus saturatus).

If you compare NAM1 & NAM2, you will seen that the S. saturatus has a less white belly and less marked strips (it is the case for the picture which has not much white on the belly and not marked strips).

Also if you look at Mount Rainier National Park position you will see that it correspond to S. saturatus repartition not to S. lateralis repartition.

Liné1 (talk) 07:29, 19 February 2010 (UTC)

Wow, you're right! In my defense they're hard to tell apart. Sorry about the error. K.lee (talk) 05:15, 8 April 2010 (UTC)

The two are virtually impossible to tell apart on appearance, I think, but geography is a reliable character. Ucucha (talk) 02:06, 9 April 2010 (UTC)