Texas antelope pebble
| Texas antelope pebble | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas antelope pebble ( Ammospermophilus interpres ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ammospermophilus interpres | ||||||||||||
| ( Merriam , 1890) |
The Texas antelope pies ( Ammospermophilus interpres ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the antelope pies ( Ammospermophilus ). It occurs from southern New Mexico and Texas to northern Mexico .
features
The Texas antelope pebble reaches a head-torso length of about 22 to 23.5 centimeters and a tail length of 6.8 to 8.4 centimeters with a weight of 99 to about 122 grams. The back color is gray-brown, interspersed with brown parts in the area of the head and the hind legs. On either side of the body there is a single and distinct thin white line parallel to the spine. The ventral side is white. The tail is dark to gray-black on the upper side at the tip of the tail, the underside is white with two black bands.
distribution
The Texas antelope pebble occurs from southern New Mexico and Texas to northern Mexico in the states of Chihuahua , Coahuila and Durango .
Way of life
The Texas antelope pebble lives in various rocky habitats in and around mountainous desert regions. They can be found mainly in desert areas, grasslands and woody juniper stands and other shrubbery with rocky subsoil.
The animals are diurnal and can be found all year round, but in very cold winter times they overwinter in their burrows and build up fat reserves in late autumn. They live on the ground, but can climb very well and use the bushes in their habitats to forage. They feed omnivorously mainly on seeds, cacti and green parts of plants as well as on insects. The animals live in flat and inconspicuous buildings without burial mounds at a maximum depth of one meter, which are often created in the area of stones and bushes. In addition, the animals also use crevices as a construction. Within the burrows, a chamber is usually designed as a nest chamber and covered with nest material. The population densities are usually low. The animals move quickly and hardly stand still, they can only stay for a while if they are sitting on a perch on a bush, cactus or a hill. When they run, they have their tails rolled up over their backs. When threatened, they emit a long, slow, rolling, harsh trill.
The mating season takes place annually and begins in late February. The young are born in the burrows after a gestation period of 30 days, whereby a litter consists of an average of 5 to 14 young. With mild annual temperatures, two litters per year can occur. The young usually leave the maternal den in April.
Like other ground squirrels, the harris antelope ground squirrel is a potential prey for foxes, coyotes, raccoons, small cats, birds of prey and snakes.
Systematics
The Texas antelope pebble is classified as an independent species within the genus of the antelope pebble ( Ammospermophilus ), which consists of five species. The first scientific description as Spermophilus harrisii comes from Merriam in 1890 using individuals from El Paso , El Paso County , Texas. In 1905 the species was transferred by Vernon Orlando Bailey to the genus Ammospermophilus established by Merriam in 1862 .
Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Harris antelope pebble is classified as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparably large distribution area, the assumed large population numbers and the relatively small decline in populations . The population density in the United States is low, in Mexico the species is relatively common in suitable habitats.
The accidental killing of animals by traps and poisons against pests is considered to be the main source of exposure in the United States.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 252-253. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Ammospermophilus interpres in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2015-4. Posted by: R. Timm, ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, 2008. Accessed May 16, 2016.
- ↑ a b Ammospermophilus interpres In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
- ^ A b Troy L. Best , Cynthia L. Lewis, Katherine Caesar, Amy S. Titus: Ammospermophilus interpres . In: Mammalian Species . tape 365 , 1990, pp. 1–6 ( full text (PDF)). Full text ( Memento of the original from March 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
literature
- Troy L. Best , Cynthia L. Lewis, Katherine Caesar, Amy S. Titus: Ammospermophilus interpres . In: Mammalian Species . tape 365 , 1990, pp. 1–6 ( full text (PDF)).
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 252-253. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Ammospermophilus interpres inthe IUCN 2015-4 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: R. Timm, ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, 2008. Accessed May 16, 2016.
- Matthew Haloostock: Ammospermophilus interpres on the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology's Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved May 9, 2016.