Ground Squirrel
In Vienna you can find some populations of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), also known as the European souslik. It needs short turf in order to dig its tunnel system which it finds this on the steppes and in pasture, in dry banks, on sports fields, parks and lawns. These conditions are lost when changes in agricultural practice convert grassland into arable land and forest, or grazing ceases and the grass grows coarse and scrubland develops - which has happened a lot in the recent years. This is why the European ground squirrel is listed as being endangered by the IUCN in its Red List of Threatened Species. The population trend is downward and it is believed that, over the last ten years, the population has diminished by more than 30% due to the destruction of their habitat. These cute little critters are so much fun to watch and should be - as all living creatures - protected at all costs.
In Wien kann man das Europäische Ziesel (Spermophilus citellus) noch recht häufig finden, obwohl es mittlerweile durch die Zerstörung seines Lebensraumes zu den stark bedrohten Tierarten gehört und sich weit oben auf der Roten Liste wiederfindet. Durch Landwirtschaft, Verbuschung und Bebauung sind die Steppenlandschaften, die es als Lebensraum bevorzugt, zu stark geschrumpft. In Deutschland ist es ausgerottet, Wiederansiedlungsversuche sind gescheitert. Diese putzigen Nager, die sehr zutraulich werden können, sollten - wie alle Lebewesen, unbedingt geschützt werden.
Ground Squirrel
In Vienna you can find some populations of the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), also known as the European souslik. It needs short turf in order to dig its tunnel system which it finds this on the steppes and in pasture, in dry banks, on sports fields, parks and lawns. These conditions are lost when changes in agricultural practice convert grassland into arable land and forest, or grazing ceases and the grass grows coarse and scrubland develops - which has happened a lot in the recent years. This is why the European ground squirrel is listed as being endangered by the IUCN in its Red List of Threatened Species. The population trend is downward and it is believed that, over the last ten years, the population has diminished by more than 30% due to the destruction of their habitat. These cute little critters are so much fun to watch and should be - as all living creatures - protected at all costs.
In Wien kann man das Europäische Ziesel (Spermophilus citellus) noch recht häufig finden, obwohl es mittlerweile durch die Zerstörung seines Lebensraumes zu den stark bedrohten Tierarten gehört und sich weit oben auf der Roten Liste wiederfindet. Durch Landwirtschaft, Verbuschung und Bebauung sind die Steppenlandschaften, die es als Lebensraum bevorzugt, zu stark geschrumpft. In Deutschland ist es ausgerottet, Wiederansiedlungsversuche sind gescheitert. Diese putzigen Nager, die sehr zutraulich werden können, sollten - wie alle Lebewesen, unbedingt geschützt werden.