Ammospermophilus nelsoni (Merriam, 1893)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840652 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF95-ED68-FF6C-FCAEFE26FD52 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Ammospermophilus nelsoni |
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Nelson's Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus nelsoni View in CoL
French: Spermophile de Nelson / German: Nelson-Antilopenziesel / Spanish: Ardilla antilope de Nelson
Taxonomy. Spermophilus nelsoni Merriam, 1893 ,
“Tipton, San Joaquin Valley [Tulare
Co.], California [USA].”
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. San Joaquin Valley, S California (USA).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 230-256 mm,tail 67-78 mm; weight 142-179 g. Nelson's Antelope Squirrelis a large antelope squirrel with a buff to tan dorsum and head; a clear but faint single white
stripe runs length of each side; snout and legs washed with yellow. A buff eye ring is evident. Venter is white to cream. Tail is buff gray on dorsal surface and whitish to cream below. Chromosome number of Nelson’s Antelope Squirrelis 2n = 38.
Habitat. Dry flat or rolling terrain with little slope (less than 10°-14°) and sparse shrubs and grasslands in generally poor quality and barren areas.
Food and Feeding. Nelson’s Antelope Squirrel focuses on herbaceous matter and seeds of arid grasses, herbs, and shrubs but will also take live insects or scavenge dead animals. Frequently seen foraging with seeds collected in cheek pouches.
Breeding. Nelson's Antelope Squirrel inhabits burrows with a vegetation-lined nest chamber in which young are born. Mating occurs in late January or February. A single litter of 6-11 young is produced in March after a gestation of ¢.26 days. Young emerge in spring (April-May).
Activity patterns. A diurnal squirrel that does not hibernate in winter but appears to estivate in extreme summer temperatures on occasion. Often seen foraging but moving more slowly than other antelope squirrels. It is not generally found in areas where it can be considered a nuisance or pest.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Nelson’s Antelope Squirrel is found in low densities with populations that are patchy in poor quality habitat; however, small colonies often occur in quality soils. Home ranges average 4-4 ha irrespective of sex. Nelson's Antelope Squirrelis less energetic than other antelope squirrels, especially in extreme heat and cold;it often takes refuge in shade of shrubs or in burrows. Alarm call is a short deep pitched trill but Nelson’s Antelope Squirrel is extremely quiet and prefers to remain motionless unless startled by sound.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Population trend is declining and distribution has been reduced to southern portion of historical distribution. Major threats to conservation are conversion of habitat to agriculture and spread of dense foliage from exotic plant species. The small distribution increases the risks to this already uncommon species.
Bibliography. Best, Titus, Lewis & Caesar (1990), Cypher (2001), Germano et al. (2001), Thorington et al. (2012), USFWS (1998).
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.
