| Mexican Ground Squirrels have adapted well to human activity and are common inhabitants of roadsides, cemeteries, and golf courses. They are omnivores, feeding on the seeds of a variety of grasses and forbs, green plant material, and larval and adult insects. This burrow-dwelling species can be found in small, social colonies. Alarm calls alert members of the colony to the presence of danger, and an erect posture is used to watch for potential predators. The species may be confused with the closely-related thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel, because both are marked by rows of white spots on the back. However, the Mexican Ground Squirrel has a paler coloration and larger body size.
Also known as:
Gopher, Picket Pen
Sexual Dimorphism:
Males are slightly larger than females.
Length:
Range:
280-380 mm
Weight:
Range:
137-330 g
References:
Erxleben, J.C.P., 1777. Systema regni animalis per classes, ordines, genera, species, varietas, cum synonymia et historia animalium. Classis I, Mammalia, p. 428. Wegand, Leipzig, 636 pp.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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