Ammospermophilus harrisii (Audubon & Bachman, 1854)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818962 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF95-ED68-FF6B-F562F9AAF168 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Ammospermophilus harrisii |
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Harris’s Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus harrisii View in CoL
French: Spermophile de Harris / German: Harris-Antilopenziesel / Spanish: Ardila antilope de Harris
Taxonomy. Spermophilus harrisii Audubon & Bachman, 1854 ,
type locality unknown. Restricted by E. A. Mearns in 1896 to Santa Cruz Valley at the Mexican boundary, Santa Cruz Co., Arizona, USA. Two subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
A. h. saxicolus Mearns, 1896 — E of the range in Arizona and SW New Mexico (USA), and Sonora (Mexico).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 216-267 mm, tail 67-92 mm; weight 113-150 g. Harris’s Antelope Squirrel is a small squirrel with a gray to slate gray dorsum and head; a clear but faint single white stripe runs length of each side; snout and legs suffused with brownish to reddish. A faint white eye ring is evident. Venter is white and extends up the sides. Tail is charcoal on dorsal surface and grizzled underneath. Nominate harrisii tends to be darker than saxicolus. Chromosome number of Harris’s Antelope Squirrel is 2n = 38.
Habitat. Diverse desert habitats with complex habitats of shrubs, small trees and cacti.
Food and Feeding. Harris's Antelope Squirrel primarily feeds on cactus fruits and flesh, seeds of desert herbs, shrubs, and trees but will also take live insects or scavenge dead animals. Frequently seen foraging with seeds collected in cheek pouches and will cache seedsin its burrows.
Breeding. Harris's Antelope Squirrel inhabits burrows with a vegetation-lined nest chamber in which young are born. Breeding starts in December and continues through spring. A single litter averaging 6-5 is born after a 30day gestation; young emerge after 30-35 days and are weaned after c.2 more weeks. Adult size is achieved by ¢.217 days. Two litters may be born in more mild climates.
Activity patterns. A diurnal squirrel that does not hibernate in winter, estivate in summer or store fat and remains active in the high temperatures found in the desert. Climbs thorny shrubs and cacti effectively. Often seen alert atop vegetation or rapidly running with tail head overhead. Can be a minor nuisance in urban desertcities.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Harris's Antelope Squirrel obtains water in its diet, especially from cacti, which enables activity throughout the summer heat. It lives in shallow burrows and moves an average maximum distance of 274 m. Densities are moderate and adults are solitary. Alarm call is a long pure-noted trill that carries well in modestly complex desert habitats.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population trend is unknown but believed to be stable. Current widespread distribution and ability to persist in grazed and modestly developed areas suggests that Harris’s Antelope Squirrelis not at risk.
Bibliography. Best, Titus, Caesar & Lewis (1990), Bolles (1988), Mearns (1896a), Orr et al. (2015), Thorington et al. (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
