Desert Dweller of the Month: Mojave ground squirrel

By Liana Aker, wildlife biologist, Fort Irwin Directorate of Public Works, Environmental BranchFebruary 9, 2015

A juvenile Mojave Ground Squirrel in a burrow.
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A juvenile Mojave Ground Squirrel in a burrow. The Mojave ground squirrel occupies all major desert scrub habitats in the western Mojave Desert. Critical habitat features include availability of food resources and soils suitable for burrow construct... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
The Mojave ground squirrel in burrow
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Chances are you will never see this extremely secretive member of the squirrel family, but that is all the more reason to be concerned for its future in the Mojave Desert. Unlike most rodents, the Mojave ground squirrel, about 8-9 inches from head to tail, is not particularly sociable during most of the year, only seeking each other out to mate in the early spring. However, even this brief interlude cannot take place, if moisture and vegetation conditions are not perfect for the squirrel to raise its family.

Typically, at least 3.5 inches of winter rain is needed for succulent plants (fleshy plants that store water in their thick leaves and stems) to flourish, allowing baby squirrels to feed on them in the spring.

Over the last decade in the Mojave Desert, only two years have resulted in conditions good enough to support a new generation of baby squirrels. For a small mammal whose lifespan is only about 5 years, those figures are not very promising. The Mojave ground squirrel is listed as "threatened" under the California Endangered Species Act and has been petitioned for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Its geographic ranged is restricted to the western Mojave Desert. Studies have shown a squirrel may range up to five miles from its birthplace. However, its population has diminished as its natural environment has been degraded through human expansion and development in the Mojave Desert.

The good news for this rare little rodent is that a portion of their population resides right here at Fort Irwin, where DPW biologists monitor them closely. From every squirrel we catch a glimpse of, we learn a little bit more about how to keep their numbers stable and healthy. For more information on this or any other Mojave desert species, contact a DPW biologist at (760)380-5044.