The California ground squirrel is about 18 inches (46 cm) long and has a white underside, a long bushy tail, and big eyes. It has brownish-gray fur with cream spots and flecks on its back. It has a darker gray color that runs from its head down to the middle of its back. Its shoulders and the side of its head are a lighter gray.
The California ground squirrel is found in open areas, including fields, pastures, and lightly wooded areas.
Most of the California ground squirrel’s diet is made up of plant parts like leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, and berries. and fruits. Occasionally, it will eat insects and small animals.
Mating season is in the early spring, right after the ground squirrels emerge from hibernation. Gestation lasts a month. The female has 5-8 babies in a nest in the ground or in a rock pile. The babies leave when they are about eight weeks old. Ground squirrel babies are called kits or kittens.
The California ground squirrel has a life span of around six years in the wild.
The California ground squirrel is diurnal. Diurnal animals are most active in the daytime. It lives in colonies, but the squirrels tend not to socialize with each other. Several squirrels may share a burrow, but they each have their own entrance. Burrows are made under a tree, log, or rock.
The California ground squirrel has a unique way to protect itself from predators. It will chew up the shedded skin of rattlesnakes and then rub the skin all over itself to cover itself with the scent of the rattlesnake in an attempt to fool its predators (including rattlesnakes) into thinking it’s a rattlesnake.
The California ground squirrel can climb trees, but it spends most of its time on the ground.
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The California ground squirrel is found in south-central Oregon, western Washington, and most parts of California.
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