Round-Tailed Ground Squirrels seem to be everywhere this year. You can find more about them, along with dozens of pictures by looking up either Xerospermophilus tereticaudus or Spermophilus tereticaudus, on the web. 1st Response Wildlife has been receiving calls from numerous homeowners and businesses to see if there is anything that can be done about these little smooth-furred squirrels which build extensive underground tunnels and delight in creating endless burrows in the desert.
Left to themselves, unless you are riding a horse through the desert or on your property, chasing a soccer ball, shagging a fly, or just sitting on your back porch hoping to relax without watching your plants getting nibbled, they are kind of cute and remind you of a miniature Prairie Dog. If, however, they come into your yard, play ground, athletic field, or business, they can really be a nuisance.
Below, courtesy of "Focus On Nature Tours," is the first of 4 pictures of these little fellows and the entrance to their living quarters..
This little fellow digs holes that are entrances to his underground world and, at other times, he just digs holes. The picture below shows an entrance to his underground set of tunnels.
As the temperature rises, here in the Sonoran desert, you can expect the Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel to emerge from one of its holes a little earlier each week-starting in the spring. You will also find that they are usually listed as omnivores, which simply means they eat plants and they especially like those which are high in water content. They also, however, will eat ants, crickets, larger insects, like grasshoppers, termites, and other insects and, based on our observation they can be opportunistic feeders as well. What this means is that they have things they would prefer to eat but, provided with the opportunity to feed, you may see them on your bird feeder competing with the song birds, doves, or quail or even, as 1st Response Wildlife has seen, feasting on road kill in the middle of the road.
These little fellows are pretty fast but, they are routinely snagged and hawks, badgers, snakes, and even coyotes consider them a great catch. In our experience, since our primary business is not photography but, instead, evaluating animal situations, educating our customers, and, when appropriate, relocating animals here in the greater Tucson area, we typically do not take pictures from a long distance. If you try to get close to one of these squirrels, they usually have several hidey holes they use as escape routes and, without a long range camera in our bag, we are challenged to get close-up shots. As result, above and below we have relied on photos of the squirrels, for this blog, on other sources. The second of the two squirrel pictures used herein is from a blog, managed by Judy Hedding in Phoenix. Pictured after the Round-Tailed Ground Squirrel below, we show an example at a customer site of a problem that is representative of many calls to 1st Response Wildlife-where a back yard, playground, or business was being overrun by ground squirrels.
Below, within a 4' area, there are 5 holes!
Underground tunnels and the proliferation and range of these animals can make it difficult to determine, without sitting and watching your property for a significant amount of time, just how many you have living and burrowing in and around you. If you think you have a problem with these Round-Tailed Ground Squirrels, 1st Response Wildlife would be happy to consult with you and review options you have to reduce their number in your area. We have helped customers decide how to deal with dozens so far just this year!
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Josh's Cell (24/7 Hours): 520-260-9517
Josh Waling is a humane Licensed Animal Trapper who catches and releases wildlife, removing animals including bobcats (lince), snakes, rattlesnakes (serpiente de cascabel), raccoons (mapache), pack rats, gila monsters (monstruos de gila), rabbits (canejo), owls, bats, hawks, ducks, squirrels (ardilla), coatimundi (gato solo), skunks (mofeta), exotics, and domestic cats and dogs. He delivers service that is professional and fast and he is available 24/7. Give him a call the next time you hear unusual noises in the attic or crawl spaces in your home or if you see wildlife eating your vegetation, creating nests, and raising their young too close to your pets or children or have an exotic sighting in your neighborhood. 520-260-9517 Thanks!
