Habitat
Tundra, subalpine brushy meadows, roadsides, riverbanks, lakeshores, sandbanks permafrost-free areas with loose soils and early successional vegetation. Well-drained habitats often associated with sand dunes or eskers. Digs extensive burrow systems. Found from sea level to well above tree line (Buck and Barnes 1999).
References
Buck, C. L. and B. M. Barnes. 1999. Temperatures of hibernacula and changes in body composition of arctic ground squirrel over winter. Journal of Mammalogy 80: 1264-1276.