# 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.

- **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.

## About

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...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/bc1e26ac-db57-4e7f-af05-6ddacfda0204
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/180007
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California ground squirrel
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/206836027/medium.png (smeckert, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.