Mohave ground squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mohave ground squirrel |
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| Painting by Louis Agassiz Fuertes | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Xerospermophilus
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| Species: |
mohavensis
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| Synonyms | |
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Spermophilus mohavensis Merriam, 1889 |
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The Mohave ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus mohavensis) is a special type of ground squirrel. It lives only in the Mojave Desert in California, USA. This small animal was first found in 1886 by a person named Frank Stephens.
This squirrel is considered a threatened animal in California. This means its population is getting smaller. However, it is not listed as threatened by the United States government. The IUCN, a global group, says this squirrel is "vulnerable." This means it could become endangered if we don't protect it.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The Mohave ground squirrel is about nine inches long from its nose to its tail. That's about the length of a standard ruler!
What Do Mohave Ground Squirrels Eat?
These squirrels eat leaves and seeds. They look for food from February until July. They need to eat a lot to get ready for their long rest period.
Life Cycle and Hibernation
Around late July, Mohave ground squirrels start a long sleep called estivation. This is like hibernation, but it happens in summer. They do this to avoid the hot desert and dry conditions. If there isn't much rain, they might start their estivation as early as April.
These squirrels usually don't have babies if the winter had less than 80 millimeters (about 3 inches) of rain. If a drought lasts for many years, entire groups of squirrels can disappear.
Males wake up from estivation in early February. Females follow soon after. They have babies in early March. A mother squirrel is pregnant for about four weeks. She usually has 4 to 6 babies at a time. The young squirrels come out of their burrows in late May or mid-June.
Where Do They Live?
Mohave ground squirrels live in the western part of the Mojave Desert. You can find them in parts of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino counties in California.
They live in different types of desert areas. These include places with Joshua trees, creosote bushes, and saltbush. They choose places where they can find enough food and water.
Favorite Plants
Some of their favorite plants to eat are shrubs like winterfat, spiny hopsage, and boxthorn (Lycium species). They also enjoy annual plants. These include Coreopsis species, Eremalche species, Astragalus species, and lupine.
Their Homes
These squirrels like soft soil that is easy to dig. This helps them make their burrows. Burrows are underground tunnels where they live and stay safe.
Areas with lots of food help these squirrels survive during dry times. These strong groups can help new squirrels spread out when there is enough rain. This is important because good rain helps them have babies. Because of this, their numbers can go up and down. It can be hard to know how many squirrels there are.
How Do They Communicate?
Mohave ground squirrels make a high-pitched "peep" sound. This is an alarm call. They make this sound when they are scared or when their young babies first come out of the burrow.
Sometimes, people confuse their sound with the horned lark, a type of bird. In some areas, their calls can also be confused with round-tailed ground squirrels.
You might sometimes see Mohave ground squirrels sitting on a Lycium cooperii plant or a Creosote bush. They do this in the morning (around 9-11 a.m.) from April to June. They are usually basking in the sun.
Who Are Their Predators?
Like many animals, Mohave ground squirrels have natural enemies. Their predators include badgers, coyotes, snakes, falcons, and hawks.
