GROUND SQUIRREL

any of numerous relatively short-legged, terrestrial rodents of the squirrel family, Sciuridae (order Rodentia). The name is applied to the antelope ground squirrels (Ammospermophilus), also African ground squirrels (Xerus and Atlantoxerus), the many species of the genus Spermophilus, and, often, to the chipmunks. Ground squirrels are diurnal and live in burrows, often complex underground systems, that they excavate. They are primarily vegetarian, but some readily feed on insects, carrion, and small animals. Many species collect food, carrying it in their cheek pouches and storing it in their burrows. A number are more or less sociable and form colonies. Ground squirrels from cold areas may hibernate in winter; those from arid regions may become dormant in summer (aestivate). The antelope ground squirrels comprise five species of white-striped animals found in dry plains and on low mountainsides of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They are 20 to 25 centimetres (8 to 10 inches) long, including a 5- to 10-cm tail, and range in colour from pale gray brown to light cinnamon brown. The tail is white on the underside and is generally carried up or over the back, rather in the manner of an antelope. In some areas, these ground squirrels may damage crops or the banks of irrigation ditches. African ground squirrels of the genus Xerus are found from East to West Africa and in South and southwest Africa. There are about four species. They have coarse, scant fur and are 23 to 30 cm long excluding the 18- to 27-cm tail. They are brown, reddish brown, or grayish, and most have a white stripe on each side. African ground squirrels, like the others, have strong claws and short ears. They live in colonies, sometimes with other rodents or with meerkats (Suricata). In some areas, they are pests because they damage crops. The Barbary ground squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus) is the only other terrestrial squirrel in Africa. It is white striped and is found north of the Sahara. The genus Spermophilus (Citellus of some authors) includes about 40 species found in Europe, Asia, and North America. The members of this genus vary from 17 to 52 cm in length, including the 3- to 25-cm tail. They are basically gray, brown, reddish brown, or yellowish and may be solid coloured, dappled, spotted, or striped. There are two species in Europe, the European and spotted susliks (S. citellus and S. suslicus). Both are yellowish brown and are found primarily in the plains. The former, which ranges into Asia, is vaguely spotted or unspotted; the latter is clearly marked with small, pale spots. California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) Most of the species in this genus are native to North America, particularly the west. Some are well known, and some are of economic importance as pests or as consumers of harmful insects and weeds. The 13-lined ground squirrel, or gopher (S. tridecemlineatus), is a familiar rodent found westward from the Great Lakes region; it is readily identified by the 13 white stripes or lines of spots that alternate with brown along its back and sides. The California ground squirrel (S. beecheyi; see photograph) is a white-flecked brown squirrel found from Oregon to Baja California. It is an agricultural pest and may also, as it did in San Francisco in 1900, carry the fleas that transmit bubonic plague. The Arctic ground squirrel (S. undulatus) is a large, white-flecked, reddish brown species attaining a length of about 50 cm. It is found in Asia, as well as in northern Canada and Alaska, and is used for food and clothing by the Eskimos. The golden-mantled ground squirrel (S. lateralis) is a chipmunk-like inhabitant of mountainous areas, often of parks and camping grounds. It is gray or brown with a black-bordered white stripe along each side, and it is characterized by a yellowish or reddish brown mantle that appears in summer on the head and shoulders. The genus Spermophilus is sometimes divided into several subgenera: Spermophilus (various ground squirrels, susliks, gophers); Callospermophilus (golden-mantled ground squirrels); Otospermophilus (California ground squirrels and others); and Spermophilopsis (the thin-toed, or long-clawed, ground squirrels of Asia). See also marmot; prairie dog.