California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
They exhibit 'snake-scent application' by chewing shed rattlesnake skins and licking their fur to disguise their scent from predators.
- Scientific name
- Otospermophilus beecheyi
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Rodentia › Sciuridae › Otospermophilus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open grasslands, oak woodlands, chaparral, and rocky ridges.
- Diet
- Omnivorous: primarily seeds, grains, and nuts, supplemented by insects and small birds.
- Range
- California, Oregon, Washington, Baja California
- Size
- 30-50 cm in length including the bushy tail.
- Lifespan
- 4 to 6 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Predation by raptors and snakes, habitat fragmentation, and secondary poisoning from rodenticides.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally harmless but defensive if cornered. Do not feed or handle, as they can carry fleas infected with plague. Maintain a safe distance; if bitten, wash the wound thoroughly and seek medical advice.
The California ground squirrel ( Otospermophilus beecheyi ), is a common and easily observed ground squirrel of the western United States and the Baja California Peninsula; it is common in Oregon and California and its range has relatively recently extended into Washington and northwestern Nevada. Formerly placed in Spermophilus , as Spermophilus beecheyi , it was reclassified in Otospermophilus in 2009 as it became clear that Spermophilus as previously defined was not a natural (monophyletic) group. A full species account...
Photo: smeckert, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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