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Ground squirrels are rodents of the squirrel family that generally live on the ground or in burrows, rather than in trees like the tree squirrels.The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones are more commonly known as marmots (genus Marmota) or prairie dogs, while the smaller and less bushy-tailed ground squirrels tend to be known as chipmunks (genus ...
There are five living genera—Xerus, the unstriped ground squirrel; Euxerus, the striped ground squirrel; Geosciurus, the Cape and mountain ground squirrels; Atlantoxerus, containing the living Barbary ground squirrel of North Africa and some extinct species; and Spermophilopsis, containing the long-clawed ground squirrel of Central Asia.
The greatest predator of the ground squirrel is a snake—the type of snake varying by the locality. As a result, ground squirrels have evolved to perform anti-snake displays to defend themselves. [6] These squirrels tend to be put on a prominent display, specifically by moving their tail back-and-forth horizontally.
Ground squirrels prefer sandy or loamy, well-drained, alluvial soils rather than heavier clay and shallow, rocky soils. ... The hybrids are biologically interesting because, at some future time ...
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels can survive in hibernation for over six months without food or water and special physiological adaptations allow them to do so. [6] During torpor, these squirrels maintain hydration by redistributing and storing osmolytes like sodium, glucose, and blood urea nitrogen in different body compartments (to be ...
The tufted ground squirrel [2] or groove-toothed squirrel [3] (Rheithrosciurus macrotis) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. [4] It is the sole species in the genus Rheithrosciurus . [ 5 ]
Squirrels can cache as many as 3,000 nuts each season, but remembering where all the nuts are stored seems impossible. Unlike most small mammals whose brains shrink during winter due to reduced ...
The southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) is a close relative of the gray squirrel, which is one of the most common squirrel species in the country, and is considered to be the most variably ...