Late spring snowstorms are having a negative impact on Columbian ground squirrels in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, according to this article from the Edmonton Journal. A group of researchers, led by the University of Alberta, have been observing squirrels in the Kananaskis area for 20 years, and have seen that they now emerge from their winter hibernation 10 days later now than they did 20 years ago. The survival rate of female squirrels has dropped from 87% when the study began to 67%; this may be related to the squirrels emerging later and therefore having less time to fatten up in the fall before it snows.
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