Striped Ground Squirrel

Striped Ground Squirrel

Xerus erythropus

Silhouette: Joseph Smit · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Ouagadougou

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

22 Verified sightings at Ouagadougou
13 In all 2 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Striped Ground Squirrel

The striped ground squirrel (Euxerus erythropus) is a species of squirrel native to Africa. It was first described by Geoffroy in 1803, but the binomial authority is sometimes incorrectly cited as "Desmarest, 1817". There are six subspecies. It is a moderately large ground squirrel with sandy-brown or dark-brown fur with a white lateral stripe and whitish underparts. Adults live alone or in pairs in a simple burrow with a central nest, foraging, mostly on the ground, for seeds, nuts and roots, and caching excess food under stones. This is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".

Striped ground squirrels are moderately large ground squirrels, ranging from 22 to 29 centimetres (8.7 to 11.4 in) in length, with a tail that, at 19 to 26 centimetres (7.5 to 10.2 in), is nearly as long as the body. Adults weigh between 0.5 and 1 kilogram (1.1 and 2.2 lb). They have a coat of short, bristly fur, and are pale sandy to dark brown across most of the body, with whitish, nearly hairless, underparts. A narrow stripe of pure white fur runs down the flanks from the shoulders... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
2 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Ouagadougou 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso
~50%
2 Kampala 🇺🇬 Uganda
~30%
3 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Striped Ground Squirrel in Ouagadougou?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Ground Squirrel sighting in Ouagadougou on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Striped Ground Squirrel in Ouagadougou?

May

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Ground Squirrel in Ouagadougou on a given day, against about 10% in November and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Striped Ground Squirrel?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Striped Ground Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Ouagadougou the best place to see a Striped Ground Squirrel?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Striped Ground Squirrel sightings, Ouagadougou has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Kampala (Uganda, about 30%) and Nairobi (Kenya, about 10%).

Where does the Striped Ground Squirrel sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Striped Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ouagadougou (22 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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