Nelson's antelope squirrel , San Joaquin antelope squirrel, Nelson's antelope squirrel
The San Joaquin antelope squirrel or Nelson's antelope squirrel (Ammospermophilus nelsoni ), is a species of antelope squirrel, in the San Joaquin Valley of the U.S. state of California.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ScavengerScavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While sc...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
A burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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starts withThe San Joaquin antelope squirrel or Nelson's antelope squirrel is a species of antelope squirrel, in the San Joaquin Valley of the U.S. state of California. These squirrels are dull yellowish-brown or buffy-clay in color on upper body and outer surfaces of the legs. They have a white belly and a white streak down each side of their body. The underside of their tail is a buffy white with black edges.
San Joaquin antelope squirrels are found in the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA. They inhabit slopes and ridge tops along the western edge of the valley. Most of today's remaining San Joaquin antelope squirrels can be found in the Carrizo Plain. The squirrels live on sandy, easily excavated grasslands in isolated locations in San Luis Obispo and Kern Counties.
San Joaquin antelope squirrels are social animals. They live in colonies that have about six or eight individuals. These animals prefer deep, rich soil types as they are easy to dig through in both winter and summer temperatures. Although these squirrels may dig for food, they do not make their own burrows and claim abandoned kangaroo rats' burrows as their own. They are diurnal creatures foraging in the morning and evening, and avoid the midday heat. Around noon the squirrels hide in their burrows and are not seen again until about 2 pm. These squirrels like to stretch out and roll over in the dust on the ground. They don't hibernate. San Joaquin antelope squirrels are cautious animals, especially when emerging from their burrows. To help prevent predation, they produce alarm calls. These alarm calls are not loud but associated with convulsive body movements.
San Joaquin antelope squirrels are omnivorous animals. They feed on seeds, green vegetation, insects, and dried animal matter.
San Joaquin antelope squirrels are polygynandrous (promiscuous) which means that both, females and males mate with multiple partners. The breeding season takes place in late winter to early spring and most young are born in March. Females give birth to 6-11 young after the gestation period that lasts around 26 days. The young emerge from their dens in 30 days after birth. Weaning may start or be completed even before the young emerge. During the weaning period, the mother feeds alone and ignores any attempt of her offspring trying to nurse from her. She can sometimes spend the night in a different den if necessary. Once above ground, pups are able to forage for food independently. By early to mid-May the young squirrels have their juvenile pelage and begin to show the changes into adult pelage.
San Joaquin antelope squirrels suffer from increasing agriculture and urban development. An increase in agricultural land is taking away their habitat and leaving them with no alternative. Grazing livestock further destroys what habitat may be left, and exotic plants are able to take over native grasses that these squirrels forage upon and rely on for shade and cover. Another threat comes from pesticide drift from nearby agricultural fields captures the existing squirrel habitat.
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the San Joaquin antelope squirrel total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...