May 27, 1806, at Camp Chopunnish, Idaho County, Idaho.
Grayish mixed with black above, with indistinct buff spotting. Front of face, forelegs, and belly reddish brown. Forefeet buff. Bushy tail mostly reddish, but edged with white and with some black hairs above, especially at base and tip.
Variable: alpine meadows, brushy areas, and arid grasslands.
Eastern British Columbia and western Alberta south to northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and northwestern Montana.
In the journals, the Columbian ground squirrel was sometimes referred to as the "barking" or "whistling" squirrel.
