Editing Richardson's ground squirrel (section)

==Description==
Typical adults are about {{convert|30|cm|in}} long. Weights vary greatly with time of year and with location: at emergence from [[hibernation]] the squirrels weigh between {{convert|200|and(-)|275|g|lb|abbr=on}} for females and between {{convert|350|and(-)|450|g|lb|abbr=on}} for males. But by the time they hibernate again, their weight may have risen to nearly {{convert|750|g|lb}}.<ref name="research.uleth.ca">{{cite web |url=http://research.uleth.ca/rgs/pets.cfm |title = Richardson's Ground Squirrels as Pets | website = University of Lethbridge |access-date=2011-09-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009053003/http://research.uleth.ca/rgs/pets.cfm |archive-date=2011-10-09 }}</ref> Males are slightly larger and heavier than females on average. They are dark brown on the upper side and tan underneath. The tail is shorter and less bushy than in other ground squirrels, and the external ears are so short as to look more like holes in the animal's head. Behavior is more like that of a [[prairie dog]] than a typical ground squirrel. The tail is constantly trembling, so the animal is sometimes called the "flickertail".<ref name=":0" />

Males have an average life expectancy of 3 years, while females average 4 years. However, in captivity some individuals may live for 5 to 7 years.<ref name="research.uleth.ca"/>