Harris's antelope squirrel (''Ammospermophilus harrisii'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

in the family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

. It is found in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

in the United States, and in

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

in Mexico. They are adapted to hot weather conditions including a technique called "heat dumping". They have a wide-ranging diet, including both vegetation, insects, small rodents and carrion.

Taxonomy and description

left, up''A. harrisii'' holding its tail over its back The species is named after Edward Harris. Examples of ''A. harrisii'' have distinctive markings on their grey fur, with brown highlights on the sides and legs and a white strip down the side of the torso and encircling their eyes. Their fur grows longer in the winter than it does in the summer. Adults weigh around , and measure minus their tail, which measures . They can be mistaken for

chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of subtribe Tamiina. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks are classified as four genera: '' ...

s. ''A. harrisii'' has a high body temperature of 97-107 degrees Fahrenheit (36.7 - 41.6 °C) In order to protect itself from the heat of the

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert () is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the Southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It ...

, ''A. harrisii'' carries their tails over their bodies in order to provide shade. ''A. harrisii'' also participates in a heat reduction method where individuals move into shaded positions and lie spread eagled against the ground. This is referred to as "heat dumping". They are active during the day, and do not sweat but otherwise reduce temperature by salivating. The optimum reproductive period for ''A. harrisii'' is between February and March although mating can take place between December and June. Gestation lasts thirty days, and females usually have one litter per year with an average of 6.5 pups. Newborns grow to adult size at around 217 days after birth. Both males and females reach sexual maturity during the first year.

Habitat

The habitat of ''A. harrisii'' ranges across the Southwestern United States, specifically in

and the southwest of

. The range extends outside the US into Mexico into the northwest of the state of

. They are designated as a non-game animal by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. While the species is not endangered, the range of its habitats is being reduced by human developments. Their diet includes the fruit and seeds of local cactus plants, as well as beans of the

mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

plant. They do not only eat vegetation, and also consume insects, small rodents and carrion. They have a variety of predators including the

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the wildcat, bay lynx, or red lynx, is one of the four extant species within the medium-sized wild cat genus '' Lynx''. Native to North America, it ranges from southern Canada through most of the c ...

coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...

s, as well as local snakes and domestic animals such as dogs and cats.

References

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1764884 Ammospermophilus Rodents of Mexico Rodents of the United States Natural history of Sonora Mammals described in 1854 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by John James Audubon Taxa named by John Bachman