Since we moved from the suburbs of Rio Rancho, New Mexico to the slightly less populated suburbs of Rio Rancho, New Mexico these little squirrels have been racing around our property. They are only about four to six inches nose to hind bits (their tail often lays flat on their back), and they love to get into the bird feeders. Today, I will talk about The Harris’s Antelope Squirrel (I think).

       First, a BenMayNotKnowWhatHe’sDoing disclaimer: my animal identification skills are not the best, borderline awful, so I ~think~ this is a Harris’s Antelope Squirrel, but I cannot say for certain. Everything that I have found about them seems to match and none of the other common types of New Mexico ground squirrel seem to match as well as the Harris’s Antelope does. If you feel strongly that this is not a Harris’s Antelope squirrel, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message, I welcome any and all feedback!

       According to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum “The Harris’s Antelope Squirrel is a resident ground squirrel of the American Southwest, occurring in much of Arizona and small areas of New Mexico, California, Nevada, as well as part of northwestern Mexico” (Source). Their small size makes them the perfect desert scavenger as they forage for nuts, wild berries, and wild grains around the desert landscape. Their tail, while not as bushy as a typical tree squirrel, is typically used like a small umbrella along their back (Source).

       Mammals of this size tend to fill a much needed gap in the ecosystem serving as the link between the plant and animal world. In this case, squirrels are especially useful in their seed dispersion capacities. “Their biggest contribution to the forest is in shaping plant composition” says Robert McCleery of the University of Florida (Source) In essence, these forgetful friends wil bury seeds, forget where they buried their seeds, and then the seeds will grow into new plants. This repeated planting and forgetting has given them the quaint title of “Nature’s Gardeners.”

       These backyard cuties still hold a place in my heart and their little chirps and squeaks will always be a welcome sound in the morning air. I hope you all enjoyed reading about these small friends, and I hope to be posting more nature commentaries soon!

Best, -Ben