Ground squirrel ID

[kestrel]

I saw this critter on Flatiron Mountain during last week's hike:

Ground squirrel by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr

Can't tell if it's a Cascades Golden-mantled or a Columbian.

[Jamie]

Nice picture! Looks just like a Columbian to me! The golden-mantled squirrels have white stripes on their back. They are also smaller and less fat than the Columbian.

[kestrel]

Thanks Jamie! I had thought that Columbians lived at lower elevations, which is why I wasn't quite sure.