Resident of steppes, deserts and semi-deserts regions, the yellow ground squirrel, or yellow souslik, is a small rodent common in South Kazakhstan. It can also be seen on open lands of the city of Shymkent.

There are 3 species of sousliks in Kazakhstan, but the most common is the Spermophilus fulvus, better known as yellow souslik. This kind of prairie dog thirty centimetres long abounds in Russia and Central Asia.
It can usually be seen standing on a mound watching what happens around. At the first sign of danger, he runs away and takes refuge in its burrow.
The yellow souslik is lonely and lives in sparse colonies. It eats mainly plants and doesn’t drink water. Its longevity is of 5 or 6 years.

The yellow souslik is a lazy animal. It can hibernate up to 9 months a year, sometimes beginning during the hot season, and continuing without interruption during the winter. In its time spent awake, it only eats then sleeps during the hottest hours of the day.