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| Mojave ground squirrel | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mojave ground squirrel |
| Genus | Xerospermophilus |
| Species | mohavensis |
| Authority | (Merriam, 1894) |
Mojave ground squirrel is a small, diurnal mammal of the family Sciuridae endemic to the Mojave Desert of southeastern California and parts of Nevada. It occupies arid scrublands and alkali flats and is notable for its seasonal activity patterns and specialized habitat requirements. Conservation concerns have led to studies by agencies such as the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and research institutions including the University of California, Davis and the Smithsonian Institution.
Described by C. Hart Merriam in 1894, the species is placed in the genus Xerospermophilus, which also includes species like the California ground squirrel and the Rock squirrel. Taxonomic treatments have been discussed in the context of revisions published by the American Society of Mammalogists and in faunal accounts maintained by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Historic synonyms appear in older works from the Bureau of Biological Survey and in compendia such as the Mammal Species of the World.
Adults are small compared with many Sciuridae relatives, exhibiting grayish-brown dorsal fur and paler ventral coloration described in field guides by the California Academy of Sciences and authors affiliated with the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Morphometric data in studies from the University of California, Berkeley report body lengths and mass ranges used for demography. Distinguishing characters used by curators at the Natural History Museum, London and the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History include cranial measurements and pelage patterns.
The species is endemic to the Mojave Desert ecoregion, with historic and current records documented by the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service, and regional surveys by the California Native Plant Society. Key occurrences are associated with vegetation communities mapped by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and by the Bureau of Land Management on public lands. Habitat types cited in recovery planning documents include creosote scrub and saltbush scrub in locales managed by the Mojave National Preserve and habitat fragments near infrastructure projects overseen by the California Energy Commission.
Seasonal activity patterns, including aestivation and winter torpor, are referenced in ecological syntheses from the Ecological Society of America and in papers published in journals affiliated with the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Social structure and burrow use have been studied in the context of landscape management by staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and in academic research from the University of Nevada, Reno. Interactions with sympatric species such as the Kangaroo rat (members of the genus Dipodomys) and predators like the coyote and Red-tailed hawk are discussed in regional faunal inventories produced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Foraging ecology draws on diet analyses in reports commissioned by the California Energy Commission and conservation assessments prepared with input from the Desert Research Institute. Primary food items include seeds and forbs associated with plant assemblages cataloged by the California Native Plant Society and researchers at the Jepson Herbarium. Seasonal shifts in resource use are documented in studies appearing in journals linked to the Society for Conservation Biology and in monitoring programs coordinated by the Bureau of Land Management.
Reproductive timing, litter sizes, and juvenile development have been reported in field studies conducted by the University of California, Riverside and by independent investigators publishing through the Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. Life-history parameters are incorporated into population viability analyses used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by conservation NGOs such as the Nature Conservancy for regional planning.
Conservation assessments have been produced by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and inform petitions and listings evaluated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Major threats include habitat loss from urbanization in counties like San Bernardino County and Kern County, renewable energy development authorized by the California Energy Commission, invasive plants documented by the California Invasive Plant Council, and climate-change effects discussed in reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Academy of Sciences. Recovery planning involves stakeholders including the Bureau of Land Management, local governments, conservation organizations such as the Defenders of Wildlife, and research institutions like the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Category:Xerospermophilus