Belding's Ground Squirrels spend almost three-quarters of their lives hibernating in large underground colonies, so they have only three months a year to forage, grow, and reproduce. Females come into estrus on a single day for a few hours, which heightens male competition for mating. Learn more about the Spermophilus beldingi, more commonly known as a Belding's Ground Squirrel, in this easy-to-read species overview by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.