Mexican ground squirrel
Mexican ground squirrel | |
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Conservation status | |
![]() Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Genus: | Ictidomys |
Species: | I. mexicanus |
Binomial name | |
Ictidomys mexicanus (Erxleben, 1777) | |
Synonyms | |
Spermophilus mexicanus |
The Mexican ground squirrel (Ictidomys mexicanus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae.[2] It is found in Mexico and the United States. One of its closest relatives is the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus).[2]
Description
The Mexican ground squirrel is a small to medium-sized rodent with nine rows of white spots on its back.[3] It is about fifteen inches in length and the males are larger than the females.[3] It also has small white circles of fur around its eyes and small ears.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The Mexican ground squirrel is found in northern Mexico, the Texas Gulf Coast, western and central Texas, and southeastern New Mexico.[4] The Mexican ground squirrel lives in flat, brushy, or grassy areas and usually prefers areas with gravelly or sandy soil or areas with that have mesquite.[4]
While much of its original habitat has been destroyed by humans, it has adapted well to human civilization and can now be found on golf courses and other grassy areas such as the sides of highways.[4] Each squirrel normally has more than one burrow and each of them have as many as five escape tunnels.[4] The tunnels are not marked by a mound of dirt on top. Most burrows have a sleeping chamber for the offspring which is lined with grasses.[4]
Diet
The Mexican ground squirrel is omnivorous, but eats primarily seeds and grains.[4] Its diet includes seeds, nuts, grains, roots, bulbs, plant stems, leaves, mice, insects, and eggs.[4] It often stores seeds, grains, and nuts in its cheeks pouches and takes them back to its den to eat later. In the summer it eats insects. It has also been documented seen eating roadkill.[4]
Reproduction and hibernation
The mating season of the Mexican ground squirrel lasts from April to mid July, with a peak in May.[5] Females can mate after their first season of hibernation.[5] It is common for most Mexican ground squirrels to hibernate, but there have been cases where they have not.[5] The species is normally solitary, but come together in groups during the mating season.[5] It has been found that female hormone levels change during this period to allow the coming together of groups without aggression.[5] During the mating season, The female will prepare a nesting chamber in her burrow and line it with mesquite and grass. The average litter size is five, but can range from one to ten.[5] The young are born toothless, without fur, and will stay with their mother for three months before leaving to live on their own.[5]
Evading predation
The Mexican ground squirrel has evolved an interesting adaptation to help it survive after being attacked by some snakes.[6] It has developed resistance to the venom of the western diamondback rattlesnake.[6] The squirrel has an antihemorrhagic factor which neutralizes hemorrhagic activity of this specific species of rattlesnake. In addition, the squirrel's small, rear-pointing ears are effective for detecting predators.[4]
References
- ^ Linzey, A.V.; Timm, R.; Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Castro-Arellano, I.; Lacher, T. (2016). "Ictidomys mexicanus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T20487A22262744. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T20487A22262744.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ a b Cothran, Gus (1984). "Morphologic Relationships of the Hybridizing Ground Squirrels Spermophilus mexicanus and S. Tridecemlineatus". Journal of Mammalogy. 64 (4): 591–602. doi:10.2307/1380514. JSTOR 1380514.
- ^ a b c Schwanz, Lisa (2006). "Annual Cycle of Activity, reproduction, and body mass in Mexican Ground Squirrels". Journal of Mammalogy. 87 (87(6):1086–1095): 1086–1095. doi:10.1644/06-mamm-a-009r2.1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Young, Carole J.; Knox Jones, Jr., J. "Mammalian Species Spermophillus Mexicanus". doi:10.2307/3503778. JSTOR 3503778.
- ^ a b c d e f g Mandier, Valérie; Gouat, Patrick (September 1996). "A laboratory study of social behaviour of pairs of females during the reproductive season in Spermophilus spilosoma and Spermophilus mexicanus". Behavioural Processes. 37 (2–3): 125–136. doi:10.1016/0376-6357(95)00078-X. PMID 24897437.
- ^ a b Martinez, R.R. (28 August 1998). "The antihemorrhagic factor of the Mexican ground squirrel, (Spermophilus mexicanus)". Toxicon. 37 (6): 949–954. doi:10.1016/S0041-0101(98)00207-4. PMID 10340834.
- v
- t
- e
(antelope squirrels)
- Harris's antelope squirrel (A. harrisii)
- Espíritu Santo antelope squirrel (A. insularis)
- Texas antelope squirrel (A. interpres)
- White-tailed antelope squirrel (A. leucurus)
- San Joaquin antelope squirrel (A. nelsoni)
(golden-mantled ground squirrels)
- Golden-mantled ground squirrel (C. lateralis)
- Sierra Madre ground squirrel (C. madrensis)
- Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrel (C. saturatus)
(prairie dogs)
- Gunnison's prairie dog (C. gunnisoni)
- White-tailed prairie dog (C. leucurus)
- Black-tailed prairie dog (C. ludovicianus)
- Mexican prairie dog (C. mexicanus)
- Utah prairie dog (C. parvidens)
- Siberian chipmunk (E. sibiricus)
(little ground squirrels)
- Mexican ground squirrel (I. mexicanus)
- Rio Grande ground squirrel (I. parvidens)
- Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (I. tridecemlineatus)
(marmots)
- Bobak marmot (M. bobak)
- Alaska marmot (M. broweri)
- Black-capped marmot (M. camtschatica)
- Long-tailed marmot (M. caudata)
- Himalayan marmot (M. himalayana)
- Alpine marmot (M. marmota)
- Menzbier's marmot (M. menzbieri)
- Groundhog or woodchuck (M. monax)
- Tarbagan marmot (M. sibirica)
Subgenus Petromarmota: Hoary marmot (M. caligata) - Yellow-bellied marmot (M. flaviventris)
- Olympic marmot (M. olympus)
- Vancouver Island marmot (M. vancouverensis)
(western chipmunks)
- Tropical ground squirrel (N. adocetus)
- Ring-tailed ground squirrel (N. annulatus)
(rock squirrels)
- Baja California rock squirrel (O. atricapillus)
- California ground squirrel (O. beecheyi)
- Rock squirrel (O. variegatus)
- Franklin's ground squirrel (P. franklinii)
(Asian rock squirrels)
- Père David's rock squirrel (S. davidianus)
- Forrest's rock squirrel (S. forresti)
(Old World ground squirrels)
- Alashan ground squirrel (S. alashanicus)
- Brandt’s ground squirrel (S. brevicauda)
- European ground squirrel (S. citellus)
- Daurian ground squirrel (S. dauricus)
- Red-cheeked ground squirrel (S. erythrogenys)
- Yellow ground squirrel (S. fulvus)
- Russet ground squirrel (S. major)
- Caucasian mountain ground squirrel (S. musicus)
- Tian Shan ground squirrel (S. nilkaensis)
- Pallid ground squirrel (S. pallidicauda)
- Little ground squirrel (S. pygmaeus)
- Relict ground squirrel (S. relictus)
- Speckled ground squirrel (Spermophilus suslicus)
- Taurus ground squirrel (Spermophilus taurensis)
- Asia Minor ground squirrel (Spermophilus xanthoprymnus)
- Eastern chipmunk (T. striatus)
(Holarctic ground squirrels)
- Uinta ground squirrel (U. armatus)
- Belding's ground squirrel (U. beldingi)
- Northern Idaho ground squirrel (U. brunneus)
- Merriam's ground squirrel (U. canus)
- Columbian ground squirrel (U. columbianus)
- Wyoming ground squirrel (U. elegans)
- Southern Idaho ground squirrel (U. endemicus)
- Piute ground squirrel (U. mollis)
- Arctic ground squirrel (U. parryii)
- Richardson's ground squirrel (U. richardsonii)
- Townsend's ground squirrel (U. townsendii)
- Long-tailed ground squirrel (U. undulatus)
- Washington ground squirrel (U. washingtoni)
(pygmy ground squirrels)
- Mohave ground squirrel (X. mohavensis)
- Perote ground squirrel (X. perotensis)
- Spotted ground squirrel (X. spilosoma)
- Round-tailed ground squirrel (X. tereticaudus)