GENETIC-VARIABILITY OF THE CASCADE MANTLED GROUND-SQUIRREL (SPERMOPHILUS-SATURATUS) IN BRITISH-COLUMBIA

The rare Cascade mantled ground squirrel (Spermophilus saturatus) occurs only in southwestern British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, U.S.A. Genetic variation in the British Columbia population was assessed using allele frequencies of blood enzymes encoded by a total of 24 presumptive gene loci. All 24 loci were fixed for the same alleles in 48 specimens of S. saturatus collected, but 8 of these 24 loci were segregating in 46 specimens from neighbouring S. lateralis populations examined. The apparent genetic uniformity of S. saturatus may be due to founder effects because of recent northern extensions of the range of the species. In S. saturatus, two loci were fixed for alleles that were absent in S. lateralis.