Summary ²

California ground squirrels, Otospermophilus beecheyi, are found from western Washington to Baja California (1). They inhabit most of California, excluding the southeastern desert region. California ground squirrels live in open habitats such as oak woodland, oak savanna, grassland, chaparral, desert scrub, and riparian areas (2). Their fur is typically a gray-brown color speckled with white, and their necks are often gray (3). California ground squirrels also have a white ring around each eye and a long, bushy tail (4). As one of California’s larger squirrels, their body length ranges between 33.0 and 50.8 cm (13.0–20.1 in), with their tail measuring between 12.7 and 22.9 cm (5.0–9.0 in) (2).

California ground squirrels are omnivores but mostly eat plant material such as leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, nuts, fruits, twigs, and bark. They also occasionally consume invertebrates, eggs, and carrion. California ground squirrels live in colonies in complex underground burrow systems (3). Each individual squirrel has its own separate entrance to the burrow system. As diurnal animals, they can be observed during the day sunning themselves, looking for predators, and communicating with other squirrels using tail movements and alarm calls (2)(4).

Coal Oil Point Reserve Facts ²

At Coal Oil Point Reserve, California ground squirrels occupy the grassland, coastal scrub, and woodland habitats. They are common at the reserve.

References ²

1. Jameson, E. W., Jr., & Peeters, H. J. (2004). Mammals of California (Revised ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
2. Smith, J. E., Long, D. J., Russell, I. D., Newcomb, K. L., & Muñoz, V. D. (2016). Otospermophilus beecheyi (Rodentia: Sciuridae). Mammalian Species, 48(939), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1093/mspecies/sew010
3. Kays, R. W., & Wilson, D. E. (2009). Mammals of North America (2nd ed.). Princeton University Press.
4. Lima, M. (2003). Spermophilus beecheyi. Animal Diversity Web. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Spermophilus_beecheyi/

Sources and Credits

1. (c) qli, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by qli
2. (c) copr, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

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