Xerospermophilus spilosoma
Silhouette: Joseph Smit · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The spotted ground squirrel (Xerospermophilus spilosoma) is a species of ground squirrel in the rodent family Sciuridae. It is found throughout Mexico and the central and western United States. Characterized by a white spotted back, the spotted ground squirrel is one of the smallest squirrels found in North America. They are mainly herbivorous, but also eat insects. A burrowing mammal, the spotted ground squirrel will make tunnels to store its food, as well as shelter and hibernation quarters.
The spotted ground squirrel is one of the smallest squirrels to inhabit the northern hemisphere. It has many white linear dorsal spots, as well as a white underbelly. Coloration of the rest of its body varies greatly and can be different shades of brown, black, gray and white. Its skull resembles that of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, but is slightly broader in the interorbital and rostral regions. A unique characteristic of the skull is the presence of especially large auditory bullae. X. spilosoma has two pelages and molts each year. Adults emerging from hibernation usually display thicker pelages, which are shed by the springtime. Juveniles tend to have darker pelages... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ciudad Juárez | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Torreón | 🇲🇽 México |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Ground Squirrel sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 8 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May–July and September–October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Spotted Ground Squirrel in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Spotted Ground Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Padre Island National Seashore, in our data
Padre Island National Seashore is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Spotted Ground Squirrel sightings: about 30% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Rodentia
The closest relatives of the Spotted Ground Squirrel that you can see in Padre Island National Seashore (order Rodentia, Rodents) are Texas Pocket Gopher (about 20%) and Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Spotted Ground Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Padre Island National Seashore (36 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.
