Page:Natural History of the Ground Squirrels of California.djvu/69

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THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OF CALIFORNIA.
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Fig. 18. Map showing California distribution of the Oregon, Belding, Stephens Soft-haired, Mohave, Yuma Round-tailed, Death Valley Round-tailed and Palm Springs Round-tailed ground squirrels. The spots represent localities from which actual specimens have been examined.

Beechey Ground Squirrel individually, it exceeds that species in numbers. At any rate, it ranks highest in importance among rodent pests within its domain.

The Oregon Ground Squirrel is an inhabitant chiefly of mountain meadows and the borders of the bigger meadows of the valleys. It does not care for marshy ground, and it avoids thick brush and rocky slopes. In a way, it is complementary in habitat to the Douglas Ground Squirrel, which occurs in much of the same territory; rarely are the two seen on common ground. It is obviously because of its preference for grass land that the Oregon Ground Squirrel has come so seriously

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