Antelope squirrel

Taxobox
name = Antelope squirrels
fossil_range = Late Miocene - Recent


image_width = 200px
image_caption = Harris's Antelope Squirrel
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Rodentia
familia = Sciuridae
tribus = Marmotini
genus = "Ammospermophilus"
genus_authority = Merriam, 1892
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "A. harrisii" "A. insularis" "A. interpres" "A. leucurus"
"A. nelsoni"

The antelope squirrels or antelope ground squirrels are the genus "Ammospermophilus" of sciurids found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

The antelope squirrels are ground squirrels. They live in desert or dry scrub areas.

Five species are currently recognised, with ranges that overlap little. They are:
*Harris's Antelope Squirrel, "A. harrisii" (southern Arizona, Sonora)
*San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel or Nelson's Antelope Squirrel, "A. nelsoni" (San Joaquin Valley of California); endangered
*White-tailed Antelope Squirrel, "A. leucurus" (New Mexico, southern Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and north to Oregon). The most widely distributed species in the genus.
*Texas Antelope Squirrel, "A. interpres" (Texas, New Mexico)
*Insular Antelope Squirrel, "A. insularis" Espiritu Santo Island Baja California Sur (some authorities treat this as a subspecies of "A. leucurus").

All are somewhat similar in appearance and behavior. They are around 14–17 cm long with a 6–10 cm tail, and weigh 110–150 grams. The tail is somewhat flattened. They have a single white stripe on the body and none on the face. They live in burrows, which they dig for themselves. They are diurnal, and do not hibernate (though they become less active during the winter), so they are fairly easily seen.

References

*Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. Pp. 754-818 "in" Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.