Xerus erythropus
Silhouette: Joseph Smit · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Mburo National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ouagadougou | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | |
| 2 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
No species of the same family or order lives in Murchison Falls National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Ground Squirrel sighting in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 23 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Striped Ground Squirrel in Murchison Falls National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, July and October–January, the lowest months. That is one of Murchison Falls National Park's wettest months, with about 150 mm of rain against 15 mm in January.
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.
Among the best
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Striped Ground Squirrel sightings, Murchison Falls National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Lake Mburo National Park (Uganda, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Striped Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Murchison Falls National Park (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
