The ring-tailed ground squirrel (''Notocitellus annulatus'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

in the family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the Pacific coast region of central

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It is a common species and feeds mainly on fruits and nuts. The IUCN has assessed it as being of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild. T ...

Description

The ring-tailed ground squirrel is between long, half of this being the tail. Compared to the California ground squirrel (''Otospermophilus beecheyi'') it is slightly smaller, has more slender legs and broader, less-pointed ears. The incisors are orange and the large cheek pouches open inside the mouth. The crown of the head and upper parts of the body have mixed blackish-brown and buff hairs. The chin, throat and underparts are buff. The tail is slender and not bushy, the colour being mixed buff and black above and brownish beneath, with about fifteen dark rings.

Distribution and habitat

The ring-tailed ground squirrel is

to western Mexico, with a range extending from the State of Nayarit to the State of Guerrero. It is a lowland species, ranging up to elevations of about . It occupies a range of habitat types. It may live in deciduous forests of vine-clad trees or on more open slopes among rocks. The species also inhabits the borders of cultivated fields, and

oil palm ''Elaeis'' () is a genus of palms containing two species, called oil palms. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African oil palm '' Elaeis guineensis'' (the species name ''guineensis'' referring to its c ...

(''Elaeis guineensis'') plantations where the ground is littered with fallen palm fronds and

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for several plants in the genus '' Prosopis'', which contains over 40 species of small leguminous trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. They have extremely long roots to seek water from very far under gr ...

scrub. Its burrows are often in walls or dykes, or hidden under spreading cacti or scrub. It sometimes inhabits holes in trees.

Behaviour

The ring-tailed ground squirrel eats corn and other seeds, but mainly feeds on fruit and nuts. Food includes oil palm seeds, wild figs, mesquite seeds and the fleshy fruits of prickly pears (''Opuntia''). The squirrel may also consume insects. It mostly moves about on the ground, scurrying from one piece of cover to another, sometimes pausing to dig up some morsel or sit on its haunches to eat, holding the food in its forepaws. It sometimes climbs a few metres up a small tree and gathers food from low branches. When startled, it may rush a short way up a tree, peer at the intruder, retire round the back of the trunk and descend to the ground, running away under cover to the nearest burrow. If startled in the open it may freeze, or may run directly to a burrow, often stopping at the entrance to utter a short whistle or emit chirping notes. When moving about, it sometimes stops and stands upright on its hind feet, propping itself up with its tail. When it runs, it carries its tail in a curve, and is altogether more dainty and agile than most ground squirrels. Breeding takes place in the dry season between December and June; one female specimen found to be was carrying a litter of four embryos.

Status

The ring-tailed ground squirrel is common in suitable locations within its range. The

International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of nat ...

has identified no particular threats and has assessed its conservation status as being of "

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1768906 Endemic mammals of Mexico Jalisco dry forests Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel Ring-tailed Ground Squirrel