![]() ![]() They also climb flower stalks of agaves to feed on the tender tips. They often climb into mesquites, willows, and ocotillos when they are first leafing out, to feed on the tender new growth. Rock squirrels forage for food on the ground of their home areas, but can also climb trees very well. They intersperse bouts of feeding with periods of sunning or relaxing in the shade of bushes. Round-taileds usually don’t have to venture far from their burrows, finding enough grass seed, cacti, and vegetation nearby to satisfy their needs. ![]() These ground squirrels also climb up barrel cacti to get the fruit, despite the spines. Many shallow divots in the dirt are an indicator of their activity. Harris’ antelope squirrels run around the desert sniffing out seeds in the ground and digging them up. The rock squirrel is an omnivore, feeding on seeds, mesquite beans and buds, insects, eggs, birds, carrion, and a variety of fruits, including the fruit of barrel cactus and prickly pear. It also will take advantage of carrion, including roadkill of its own species. The round-tailed ground squirrel depends on succulent green vegetation, such as new spring wildflowers, cactus flowers and fruit, mesquite leaves, grasses, and ocotillo flowers, but it eats seeds as well. The Harris’ antelope squirrel feeds less on green vegetation and more on fruits of cholla, prickly pear and barrel cacti, seeds, mesquite beans, insects, and occasionally, mice. They are mostĬommonly in rocky outcrops, boulder piles, or canyon walls, but they are very adaptable and make use of suburban lots, tree roots, and many other places. Rock Squrrels are found in many habitats throughout the region, even at high elevations in the mountains, but they are absent from the driest areas of southwestern Arizona. They need deeper soils where they can dig their 3 foot deep burrows. Round-tailed ground squirrels live mostly on lower alluvial fans or open, flat areas of valleys. Harris’ antelope squirrels prefer the rockier habitats of the desert, though their ranges often overlap those of the round-tailed ground squirrels. The rock squirrel has speckled greyish-brown fur and a long bushy tail. ![]() It is the largest of the ground squirrels, weighing up to 1¼ pounds (0.7 kg). The rock squirrel looks like a typical tree squirrel, but is a ground dweller. It weighs only 6 or 7 ounces (170-200 g). The round-tailed ground squirrel is light beige colored with a long, black tipped tail. Although it resembles a tiny prairie dog, and shares some of its habits, the two animals are not related. The round-tailed ground squirrel is a social animal. The Harris’ antelope squirrel has a white stripe on its side, but not on its face, and a bushy black tail that it often carries arched over the back. The little Harris’ antelope squirrel is often mistaken for a chipmunk chipmunks, however, are higher elevation animals, while Harris’ antelope squirrel is a creature of the rocky deserts. Juancito (round-tailed ground squirrel) Distinguishing Features Spanish names: ardilla (squirrel), chichimoco (Harris’ antelope squirrel), Round-tailed ground squirrel (Spermophilus tereticaudus) Harris’ antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus harrisii) The rock squirrel retreats to its burrow during cold winter periods, though scientists doubt that it actually hibernates. The round-tailed ground squirrel hibernates in winter in most of its range and estivates during the summer drought. The round-tailed squirrel also has sleek, short fur.Īll three of our squirrels are diurnal only the Harris’ antelope squirrel is active all year. All three squirrels discussed below have good claws and small ears set lower on their heads than those of tree squirrels. These little creatures are well designed for digging in the dirt. (Actually the rock squirrels and round-taileds climb quite well, and often forage in mesquites when the new leaves are budding out in the spring.) They all dig burrows to live in and retreat to for safety, but spend days on the surface when the temperature is moderate, foraging and sunning. Since we lack large trees in most of the Sonoran Desert, it’s not too surprising that our squirrels are ground dwellers. The ground squirrels belong to the rodent order - small, gnawing, mammals that many predators depend on for food.
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