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Rock Squirrel

Otospermophilus variegatus (formerly Spermophilus variegatus)[4]

The rock squirrel is a large, heavy-bodied ground squirrel of the Southwest that digs open burrows around homes, gardens and orchards; it eats seeds, fruit and garden plants, its burrowing can damage landscapes and structures, and it is associated with bubonic plague.[1][2][3]

Group
Wildlife
Order
Rodentia
Family
Sciuridae
US records
7 states
Sources
4 cited
Updated
2026-10-17
Rock squirrel, a large gray-brown ground squirrel mottled with white, with a bushy tail
Rock squirrel, a large gray-brown ground squirrel mottled with white, with a bushy tail. (c) Jacob Saucier, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Where it lives
  3. Biology
  4. Damage and signs
  5. Health risk
  6. Control
  7. Related profiles
  8. Common questions
  9. Sources

How to identify it

  • It is big for a ground squirrel: the head and body are about 10.5 inches long, with a bushy tail about 8 inches long, and the fur is brownish gray mottled with white spots.[1][2]
  • Its ears stick up above the top of the head, and it lives in open burrows rather than the closed tunnel systems of gophers.[1][2]

Where it lives

Found from Mexico north to northern Utah and Colorado, across nearly all of Arizona and New Mexico except the highest elevations.[1][3]

US map: public records from 7 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Mating runs from March to July, and after about a 30-day pregnancy a litter of 5 to 7 young is born.[2]

They need little free water and use cheek pouches to carry and cache food.[2]

Damage and signs

  • They dig up newly planted seeds and eat sprouting plants, flowers, vegetables, fruit and nuts, and their tunnels can divert irrigation water and undermine landscapes and structures.[1][2][3]

Health risk

University of Arizona Extension notes that rock squirrels are associated with transmission of bubonic plague to people; wear disposable gloves when handling dead squirrels and be aware of local plague reports.[2]

Control

Prevention

Frightening devices and repellents usually don't deter them, and once squirrels have been removed, destroy the burrow system to prevent new ones moving in.[2]

Keep them out

New Mexico State says a 4-foot fence of small wire mesh topped with a smooth sheet-metal band 16 to 20 inches wide may keep them out of small garden areas, since they climb well; University of Arizona Extension finds fences generally ineffective against ground squirrels.[1][2]

Sanitation

Remove debris piles, stacked irrigation pipe, pallets and rock piles that give them places to burrow and hide.[2][1]

Traps and physical control

Live or lethal traps baited with nuts, orange slices or melon work best on small populations; check state and local laws before trapping.[2][1]

Common questions

How can I tell a rock squirrel from other squirrels?
Rock squirrels are large, gray-brown ground squirrels mottled with white, with a long bushy tail, and they live in burrows among rocks rather than in tree nests.[1][2]
Are rock squirrels dangerous?
They are associated with transmission of bubonic plague, so avoid handling them and use gloves with dead squirrels.[2]

Sources

  1. New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service, “Controlling Rock Squirrel Damage in New Mexico (Circular 574).” pubs.nmsu.edu/_circulars/CR574/ (accessed 2026-10-17)
  2. University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County, “Rock Squirrels (Backyard Gardener, J. Schalau).” extension.arizona.edu/sites/extension.arizona.edu/files/attachment/RockSquirrels.pdf (accessed 2026-10-17)
  3. Utah State University Extension, “Rock Squirrels (fact sheet, July 2015).” digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/743 (accessed 2026-10-17)
  4. iNaturalist, “Otospermophilus variegatus taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/180008 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-17. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.