Habitat
The California ground squirrel can be found in open areas including fields, pastures and lightly wooded areas.
Diet
The majority of the California ground squirrel's diet is made up of plant parts like leaves, stems, flowers, seeds, berries and fruits. Occasionally, it will eat insects and small animals.
Life Cycle
Mating season is in the early spring right after the ground squirrels emerge from hibernation. Gestation lasts a month. The female will have five to eight babies in a nest in the ground or in a rock pile. The babies will leave when they are about eight weeks old.
Behavior
The California ground squirrel is
diurnal, that means it is most active in the daytime. It lives in colonies, but the squirrels tend not to socialize with each other. Several squirrels may share a burrow, but they each will have their own entrance. Burrows are made under a tree, log or rock. The California ground squirrel can climb trees, but it spends most of its time on the ground.
The California ground squirrel can be found in south central Oregon, western Washington and most parts of California.