![]() ![]() In those parts where the summers are hot they may also estivate for periods of a few days. In the colder parts of their range, California ground squirrels hibernate for several months, but in areas where winters have no snow, most squirrels are active year round. The squirrel may pause near its burrow and clink at intervals, or it may drop down into its tunnel system. If frightened, a squirrel often makes long leaps and emits a sharp, metallic alarm cry several times in rapid succession. Mice and voles go in and out of squirrel burrow to raid the pantries, and spiders and insects live in the tunnel walls.Ĭalifornia ground squirrels are ever vigilant and ready to sound an alarm if danger is perceived. They also play host to uninvited lodgers, including salamanders, western toads and amphibians. They provide “pre-dug” dens and nests or owls, foxes and coyotes. They cache seeds that may germinate if they are never retrieved for eating. In fact, their vision is thought to be about equivalent to a human’s.Ĭalifornia ground squirrels loosen and aerate soil and bring seeds to the surface, contributing to plant growth and diversity. From this position they love to look about. They also like to sit straight up, motionless, with their arms hanging down across their chest and their paws resting one upon the other. In one of their favorite sun bathing positions the squirrels lies with its belly on the ground, elbows on the ground with forearms extended and head raised. They often spend their time feeding, sunning, dust-bathing, and grooming. It lives in colonies, but the squirrels tend not to socialize with each other. The California ground squirrel is diurnal, which means it is most active in the daytime. Towhees, spotted towhees and other ground nesting birds.įinally they like fungi, roots, bulbs and carrion. They also like insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, crickets, caterpillars and others. black walnuts, grass seeds, seeds of elderberry, jimson weed, nightshade, tarweed, poison oak, mallow, poppies and more.įruits: Manzanita berries, coffeeberries, gooseberries, prickly pears and others. In fact, most of their time is spent within about 100 feet of their burrow and rarely does a ground squirrel go beyond a 150 yard radius of its burrow. Generally, ground squirrels spend most of their life within a fairly small area. If a predator came in the “front door,” the squirrel would have raced up one of these side tunnels and burst through a thin layer of soil to escape. Although most tunnel excavation work is done in the spring, digging and burrow improvement is a continuing process.Įntering a nest burrow, a squirrel would have found cool, moist passageways opening into nurseries, food storage rooms, and spacious sleeping chambers, as well as side tunnels that ran upward and ended just below the surface. ![]() ![]() The deepest tunnel was 28 feet below ground. In studying California ground squirrels, one group of scientists found a squirrel home with 6 females and 5 males which consisted of tunnels totaling 741 feet in length and had 33 openings. Short burrows may have a single opening, but longer branched burrows often have 2 or more openings. Some burrows house single squirrel occupants, while others may be colonial homes for several squirrels. Burrows, which are about 4 to 5 inches in diameter, may vary in length from 5 feet to more than 35 feet and may be used by many generations of ground squirrels. Hillsides or low earth banks are preferred sites because the burrows can be excavated horizontally, although many burrows are dug down vertically several feet to assure protection. HabitatĬalifornia ground squirrels live in burrows. Generally, California ground squirrels measure between 16 and 19 inches total length. The tail, 5 to 7 inches long and more than half the length of the head and body, is covered with mixed yellowish gray and black hairs and is lighter on the underside. Black fur edges the outer rims of the ears. Whitish fur rings the eyes and perhaps protects the squirrel’s eyes from too intense sunlight. Light buff or gray yellow fur covers the undersides. This gray cape may have a protective function, breaking up the animal’s body outline and making it more difficult for a predator to spot. Gray fur forms a cape over the sides of the head and shoulders. A band of slightly darker fur, flecked with light gray, extends from the head over the middle of the back. Gray, light brown and dusky fur is mixed to give the California ground squirrel’s upperparts a mottled appearance. Otospermophius in Greek means seed-loving squirrel with prominent ears. Named for Frederick William Beechey, who explored much of Northern California in 1826-28 as captain of his majesty’s ship Blossom, this squirrel is also sometimes called the Beechey Ground Squirrel. California Ground Squirrel Otospermophius beecheyi
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