Columbian Ground Squirrel - Spermophilus columbianus
The Columbian ground squirrel can be found in Canada in eastern British Columbia and Western Alberta. In the United States, it can be found in eastern Oregon and Washington, northern Idaho and western Montana.
The Columbian ground squirrel hibernates seven or eight months out of the year. It may begin hibernating as early as July. It has a special hibernation chamber in its burrow that is sealed off from the rest of the burrow with a plug of dirt. It puts on fat in the summer and stores seeds and bulbs in its hibernation chamber to eat when it wakes up in the spring.