Rock squirrel

Description

The rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae and is native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States, including southern Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, West Texas, and the panhandle of Oklahoma. The female rock squirrel has two litters a year, with three to nine young in each litter. The first litter is typically born from April to June, while the second is born in August or September. They are active in the early morning and late afternoons when the weather is warm; when very hot, they may estivate. They are social, and live in colonies with several females and one dominant male that fights other mature males to protect the group. Subordinate males lurk at the outer boundaries of the group. Rock squirrels dig burrows with their sharp claws and muscular legs. The burrows provide shelter, safety, living space, and food storage. Burrow systems can be complex and lengthy, as they are enlarged over a period of years. Entrances are usually hidden beneath rocks and can be wider than 3 inches. In the northern reach of their habitat, rock squirrels hibernate during the colder months of the year. In southern areas, rock squirrels may not hibernate at all. They can withstand long periods of time without water, some even up to 100 days. When alarmed, they whistle a short, sharp, oscillating call. The rock squirrel is predominantly a herbivore, eating mostly leaves, stems, and seeds, and occasionally invertebrates and small vertebrates. They also eat acorns, pine nuts, fruits of native plants, assorted grasses, mesquite, juniper berries, agaves and cacti. The primary invertebrates include grasshoppers, beetles and earthworms and the vertebrates include young wild turkeys and other fowl. The rock squirrel may eat their own kind, scavenging the remains of squirrels that are already dead. Its diet changes with the seasons, accustoming itself to what is available locally.