California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
The Otospermophilus was formerly placed in the large ground squirrel genus Spermiphilus, DNA sequencing has shown Spermophilus to be paraphyletic to the prairie dog and marmots.
The California ground squirrel coloration can be distinguished from the western gray squirrel by its mottles brown fur containing specks of gray, white, and other light colors. They live in burrows that they dig out themselves.
The California ground squirrel is one of three squirrel species that live in this area. The other two are the western gray squirrel and the California chipmunk
- Number of confirmed specimens : 1
- Number of pictures : 24
References
Reis, Fiona A. A Field Guide to Mammals of North America North of Mexico. 4th ed., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006, pp. 10-11, 201-202
California ground squirrel, Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 March 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_ground_squirrel. Accessed 26, April 2026