Spermophilus elegans Kennicott, 1863 . Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., p. 158.

TYPE LOCALITY: U.S.A., Wyoming, Uinta Co., Fort Bridger .

DISTRIBUTION: N.E. Nevada, S.E. Oregon, S. Idaho, and S.W. Montana to C. Colorado and W. Nebraska (U.S.A.).

COMMENT: Subgenus Spermophilus; see Hall, 1981:385. Regarded by Howell, 1938, N. Am. Fauna, 56:1 -256, and Hall, 1981:385, as a subspecies of richardsonii; but Nadler et al., 1971, Syst. Zool., 20:298-305, Robinson and Hoffmann, 1975, Syst. Zool., 28:79-88, and Koeppl et al., 1978, J. Mammal., 59:677-696, provided evidence of specific distinctness and included aureus and nevadensis in elegans .