Species Recovery Efforts
Idaho Ground Squirrels
The Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus brunneus brunneus) is listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. The population declined by 80% from initial surveys in 1985 to about 500 individuals that live at high elevation in two counties of western Idaho. The Southern subspecies (S. brunneus endemicus) is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and only lives in the Weiser River Basin.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with private landowners to conserve the Southern subspecies and avoid the need for listing. ZooBoise has a captive breeding facility for the Southern subspecies, to learn effective techniques that can be applied to a future captive breeding program for the Northern subspecies.
