Paenemarmota (SciiFii)

The giant ground squirrel (Paenemarmota barbouri), also known as the giant marmot, is a species of ground squirrel that originally lived from localities of Blancan age in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Arizona, and Chihuahua and was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern forests, open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America to help boost biodiversity. Comparable in size to a large beaver, the giant ground squirrel is the largest known ground squirrel and is nearly twice as large as the largest native modern ground squirrels. Although some of its features are primitive in most respects, it is a modern ground squirrel. The morphology of the giant ground squirrel shows greatest similarity to other spermophiles, particularly to the subgenus Spermophilus. It can be considered a primitive member of this group of ground squirrels except for the large size of the upper and lower fourth premolars, a generic character of marmots. The large fourth premolars are exceptions to the general evolutionary trend in the ground squirrels, and only in Marmota and, particularly, the giant ground squirrel are these teeth larger than the first molars. Like the marmot, the giant ground squirrel is a herbivore that mainly eat greens and many types of grasses, berries, lichens, mosses, roots, and flowers. It is somewhat a social animal that lives in burrows. When creating a burrow, the giant grounds use both their forepaws and hind feet to assist in the work—the forepaws scrape away the soil, which is then pushed out of the way by the hind feet. If there are any stones in the way, the giant ground squirrel will remove them with its teeth provided that the stones aren't too large. "Living areas" are created at the end of a burrow, and are often lined with dried hay, grass and plant stems. Any other burrow tunnels that go nowhere are used as toilet areas. Once burrows have been completed, they only host one family, but are often enlarged by the next generation, sometimes creating very complex burrows over time. Each giant ground squirrel will live in a group that consists of several burrows, and which has a dominant breeding pair. Giant ground squirrels are very defensive against intruders, and will warn them off using intimidating behavior, such as beating of the tail and chattering of the teeth, and by marking their territory with their scent. One can often see a giant ground squirrel "standing" while they keep a look-out for potential predators or other dangers. Warnings are given, by emitting a series of loud whistles, after which members of the colony may be seen running for cover. The conservation status of the giant ground squirrel is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the giant ground squirrel's wide range and its tolerance to most of the human activities, including being able to adapt to life in the cities and suburbs.