Stats

Lifespan

2-5 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Herbivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

Colony

Biome

Desert

Range

North America

Movement

Burrowing

Breeding

Live birth

Defense

Burrowing

Status

Uncommon

About

A small, sandy-colored ground squirrel of the Sonoran and Mojave deserts, named for its long, cylindrical tail that lacks the bushy fringe of most squirrels. It can tolerate body temperatures above 43°C (109°F), among the highest heat tolerances known in mammals.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn pup

   A blind, hairless pup nurses in the nest and is unable to regulate its own warmth.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A weaned juvenile is fully furred, leaves the nest, and begins foraging on solid food.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown and self-sufficient.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Sciuridae

Genus

Xerospermophilus

Species

Xerospermophilus tereticaudus