 DESCRIPTION:
Wt=4-5 oz (113-150g); L about 8.5-10" (22-25cm), without 3-4"
(74-94mm) tail that commonly is held over back. Overall tan to gray above,
white below. They have a white stripe on both sides of their body but
not through their face (as do Cliff Chipmunks -- Eutamias dorsalis
-- that live at higher elevations). Tail is mixed black and white below,
compared to just white below in other antelope squirrels.
NATURAL HISTORY: Omnivorous, feeding on fruits and seeds and the occasional
insect and mouse. Diurnal and active year-round. Because it is
adapted to tolerate hyperthermia, it often is the only small mammal
seen during the hottest parts of the day in summer. They will scurry around
collecting seeds and storing them in their cheek pouches until their body
temperature climbs to near lethal, then they will duck into the shade,
often spreading eagle in the cool soil, to cool their temperature back
down enough to go back out in the sun again. In winter, they feed on stored
food underground, but they do not hibernate. |
