Which slender rodent is common in Michigan and can transmit tularemia and plague?

• A. 13-lined ground squirrel
• B. Eastern gray squirrel
• C. Chipmunk
• D. Woodchuck

Answer: (A)

The thing being tested is which small, slender rodent serves as a known reservoir for flea-borne diseases like plague and tularemia in Michigan. The 13-lined ground squirrel fits this role best: it is a slim, ground-dwelling rodent whose ecology brings it into frequent contact with fleas that can carry Yersinia pestis (plague) and Francisella tularensis (tularemia). In Michigan, this species is the one most classically linked to both diseases due to its burrowing lifestyle and population dynamics that facilitate flea transmission.

Other common Michigan rodents like the eastern gray squirrel, chipmunk, and woodchuck are not as strongly associated with serving as the primary reservoirs for plague and tularemia. They may carry various pathogens, but the 13-lined ground squirrel is the slender species most often cited in connection with these particular diseases in that region.