CAPE GROUND SQUIRREL: Doing What Works

© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons

Living in the semiarid places of southern Africa, Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris) shades Herself with her tail from the hot sun. Active during the day, She likes to eat in the morning. Afternoons are for socializing and grooming. During other times of the day, Cape Ground Squirrel will sunbathe if the weather turns chilly.

Cape Ground Squirrel will share her burrow with Meerkats and Yellow Mongooses. In gratitude, Meerkats will call alarms to warn Her. The two mammal species will live in a mutual relationship.

Cape Ground Squirrel lives with other Female Squirrels in large underground burrows. She usually feeds on seeds, leaves, and roots. However, Cape Ground Squirrel is not above acting cute and begging from people. Her favorite haunts are the rest camps of the governmental parks in South Africa.

Cape Ground Squirrel has a unique social system for Mammals. She lives with her female Friends separate from Male Cape Ground Squirrels. In her social group, They raise their Children together. Unlike other mammal groups, the Females have no “Alpha” or Head Squirrel.

Meanwhile, Male Cape Ground Squirrels live in friendly social groups by Themselves. The Males are not territorial, and will welcome other groups. (This is unusual amongst Mammals.) The only time that the Males are with the Females is when They want to mate. Even then, when Male Cape Ground Squirrels compete for mates, They rarely injure each other. Instead, the Males hold leaping displays for the Females.

Cape Ground Squirrel teaches doing what works. She may live differently than other Squirrels but that is all right with Her. Learn from Cape Ground Squirrel to find out what works for you. Living in same sex groups and being welcoming helps Her to survive in her harsh environment.

Cape Ground Squirrel’s Wisdom Includes:
Trusting
Friendship
Living in Single Sex Groups
Hospitality

SQUIRREL FAMILY Cooperation

When people think “Squirrel”, they generally think of the tree-dwelling variety. Squirrels, however, come in three main groups–Tree Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, and Flying Squirrels. The defining characteristic of a Squirrel, a Squirrel is their bushy tail. Their family name Sciuridae means “shade-tailed”.

Tree Squirrels have the bushiest tails. Tree Squirrels use their tails for balancing and steering when They jump from branch to branch. Active during the day, Tree Squirrels chase each other through the trees, look for nuts, and work on their nests (dreys). They bury nuts and seeds in the ground for future use. Any nuts one Tree Squirrel does not eat, another Tree Squirrel will eat.

Ground Squirrels include Chipmunks, Prairie Dogs and Marmots. Ground Squirrels rarely climb trees. Instead, They often live in colonies in a complex system of burrows. A Prairie Dog town contains thousand of residents living in sleeping quarters, with their own nurseries and latrines. Extremely adaptable, Ground Squirrels will live near people.

The third kind of Squirrel is Flying Squirrel, who glides through the air using a flap of skin between his front and rear limbs. Pushing off from a tree branch, He stretches out his arms and legs and glides to another branch. Unlike other Squirrels, Flying Squirrels is active at night.

Squirrel Family teaches cooperation. Some forms of Squirrel cooperation are obvious such as building a Prairie Dog town. Tree Squirrels warn other Squirrels of approaching enemies. A more subtler form is Tree Squirrels burying nuts not only for Themselves but also for other Squirrels. Squirrels cooperate with each other in a variety of ways. Learn how to cooperate with others from Squirrel Family.