Baja California rock squirrel

The Baja California rock squirrel, Otospermophilus atricapillus, is a rodent in the family Sciuridae that is endemic to Baja California, Mexico. It is considered the sister species of the California ground squirrel, Otospermophilus beecheyi, and the two have been regarded as different species mainly because of their colorations, and the Baja population is genetically distinct enough from the California ground squirrel to be considered a separate species. The species is poorly known. It is found in desert shrubland and open mountain forests in areas of volcanic origin, mainly near water holes in the Gigantas Sierra and Sierra de San Francisco. It eats a variety of seeds and fruits, including juniper, cactus, mesquite, agave, currants, grasses and pine nuts, and also takes bird eggs and young. Because of this specific habitat preference its populations are isolated and fragmented, and the IUCN Red List lists it as Endangered because of its limited range and habitat degradation from land development and agricultural expansion.