The Piute ground squirrel is the other of the two small gray ground squirrels without stripes or spots.

In Oregon, it occurs south of Sheepshead and Cedar mountains in Malheur County. It is a species of the High Desert and commonly occurs in habitats in which the dominant shrub is big sagebrush, saltbush, or greasewood. It is commonly associated with rocky outcrops, levees, railroad embankments, ditchbanks, and sand dunes. Some occur in fencerows and edges of alfalfa and small-grain fields.

These ground squirrels are usually active for three to five months each year. They emerge from their hibernacula in February or early March. Although the species is diurnal, most activity is restricted to the cooler morning hours when winds are calm. Much of the active period is devoted to feeding. It climbs into shrubs to feed on the leaves or to obtain a better view of the surrounding area. It can also swim well.

Photo by Bryant Olsen, Flickr