Spotted Ground Squirrel
Xerospermophilus spilosoma
Summary 5
The Spotted Ground Squirrel (Xerospermophilus spilosoma) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in south to central Mexico and the central and western United States. Characterized for its white spotted back, the spotted ground squirrel is one of the smallest squirrels found in the North America. They mainly follow a Herbivore diet, but have been known to be an Insectivore as well. Known to be a burrowing mammal, the spotted ground...
Description 6
Spotted Ground Squirrels are among the smallest ground squirrels in North America. They inhabit arid and semi-arid regions of Mexico and the Southwest, and are found in scrubland and grassland as far north as Wyoming and Nebraska. They feed primarily on green grasses, forbs, and seeds, but also eat insect larvae, insects, and even small vertebrates such as lizards and kangaroo rats. Their principal predators include snakes and hawks. In the northern part of their range, they hibernate for long periods. It is not known whether this also occurs in the most southern reaches of the range.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
Sources and Credits
- (c) Terry Ross, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/78272611@N00/3760394279
- (c) Judith Lopez Sikora, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://lh3.ggpht.com/-z_LTnIRu18I/VFBGAxb7MhI/AAAAAAAA3fY/BiwHAsW8S8M/P1370053.JPG
- (c) Carlos G Velazco-Macias, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Carlos G Velazco-Macias
- (c) Chris Hyde, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Chris Hyde
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerospermophilus_spilosoma
- (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/6625625
