GROUND SQUIRRELS · SPECIES PROFILE

Mohave Ground Squirrel

Xerospermophilus mohavensis

Near ThreatenedDETAILED REFERENCE
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Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
Activityprimarily diurnal terrestrial ground squirrel; seasonal activity varies by species and climate
ConservationNear Threatened
Countries / regionUnited States
01

Classification & Current Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
SubfamilyXerinae
TribeMarmotini
GenusXerospermophilus
SpeciesXerospermophilus mohavensis
MDD taxon ID1001798

Current MDD v2.5 recognizes Xerospermophilus mohavensis as a living species in family Sciuridae, subfamily Xerinae, tribe Marmotini.

02 · DISTRIBUTION

Where it occurs

Current MDD country distribution: United States. Biogeographic realm: Nearctic.

Subregion detail: USA(CA).

Country-level distribution is a broad reference and does not mean the species occurs throughout every listed country or state.

02 · HABITAT

Where it lives

Ground squirrels in this lineage occupy open grassland, steppe, montane meadow, scrub or desert depending on species. Exact vegetation, soil and elevation limits are species-specific.

03

Shelter, Burrows & Resting Sites

Excavated burrows are central to shelter in many Marmotini ground squirrels, providing refuge from predators and temperature extremes. Exact burrow depth, entrances and seasonal use vary.

RANGE & HABITAT CONTEXT

Compare form, setting and structure

Related ground squirrels help break up the reference while showing how habitat, body form and movement can vary across the broader group.

Alpine Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELAlpine ChipmunkNeotamias alpinus — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) Yinan Li, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Yellow-pine Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELYellow-pine ChipmunkNeotamias amoenus — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) Chris Charlesworth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
04

Identification & Physical Profile

Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
AppearanceSpecies-specific adult measurements and diagnostic pelage details are not yet sufficiently standardized in available species-specific references.

Measurements are left Unknown until they can be tied to reliable species-specific sources. This avoids mixing sex, age, season or subspecies ranges from unrelated references.

05

Terrestrial Adaptations & Burrowing

Strong forelimbs and claws support digging, while compact terrestrial locomotion and rapid access to burrows suit open-ground foraging. Hibernation or estivation occurs in many lineages but is not universal and is not assigned here without species evidence.

06

Behavior, Activity & Communication

Activity: primarily diurnal terrestrial ground squirrel; seasonal activity varies by species and climate

Behavior & communication: Most true ground squirrels are diurnal. Vigilance, alarm calls, scent communication and variable social tolerance occur across the group, but exact social systems must be sourced species by species.

BEHAVIOR & FORAGING CONTEXT

Keep behavior connected to the animal

These are related ground squirrels, not photographs of Mohave Ground Squirrel. Use them as visual context for locomotion, posture, feeding and environmental use.

Buller’s Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELBuller’s ChipmunkNeotamias bulleri — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) Heriberto Ávila-González, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Gray-footed Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELGray-footed ChipmunkNeotamias canipes — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) Yinan Li, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
07

Diet & Foraging

Group context: seeds, grasses, forbs, roots, fruits and invertebrates may all be used. Exact diet and seasonal balance are species-specific.

Species-specific diet details remain incomplete
08

Reproduction & Development

Breeding seasonUnknown
GestationUnknown
Litter sizeUnknown
DevelopmentUnknown

Unknown values remain explicit. Reproductive figures from related ground squirrels are not silently substituted for this species.

09 · LONGEVITY

Lifespan

Unknown

09 · PREDATORS

Predation & Risk

Raptors, snakes and mammalian carnivores are common predator categories for ground squirrels; local predator lists vary across the range.

10

Ecology & Ecosystem Role

Burrowing aerates and redistributes soil, while grazing, seed consumption and caching connect ground squirrels to plant communities and predators.

GROUP DIVERSITY

See the wider group around this species

Squirrels in the same broad group can look and live very differently. These credited references provide comparison without changing the facts for Mohave Ground Squirrel.

Cliff Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELCliff ChipmunkNeotamias dorsalis — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Merriam’s Chipmunk — related ground squirrel visual context
RELATED GROUND SQUIRRELMerriam’s ChipmunkNeotamias merriami — related group reference for visual comparison; not Mohave Ground Squirrel.(c) dalemeister, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
11

Conservation

CURRENT MDD / IUCN STATUSNear Threatened

The status above follows the current MDD v2.5 field for this accepted taxon. Country-level range and conservation category can change as assessments and taxonomy are updated.

12

Research Coverage & Unknowns

Taxonomy, country distribution and conservation category are anchored to MDD v2.5. Unsupported measurements, reproductive values and lifespan remain Unknown rather than inferred from related species.

Group context: Marmotini ground-squirrel context: diurnal, terrestrial, burrow-centered squirrels with strong seasonal differences in activity across temperate and arid environments.

13

References & Further Reading

Taxonomy, country distribution and conservation status follow Mammal Diversity Database v2.5; broader family biology is used only as clearly labeled context.