The California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) is common on levees in California and is considered a threat to levee integrity because of its burrowing activities.
Spermophilus beecheyi inhabits agricultural lands of valleys and foothills, but also roadsides, rural parks, and higher elevation sites along forest breaks or meadow edges. In agricultural areas, ground squirrel populations greatly increase after the sowing of grains and then decrease when crops are rotated or the field is allowed to lie fallow.
California ground squirrels eat the nuts, fruits, flowers, stems, and leaves ofa variety of plants, and some authors have noted that the species is especially fond of agricultural crops, including nut, fruit, and grain crops.
California ground squirrel
