African Ground Squirrel
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African Ground Squirrel
African ground squirrels live in dry regions of southern Africa.
They rarely climb trees and instead spend most of the time either underground or burrowing into the ground.
African ground squirrels live in underground colonies, like those of prairie dogs.
These colonies may contain up to 30 individuals, and consist of females and their young.
An African ground squirrel warns other ground squirrels of danger by waving its tail up and down and by making a long, drawn out alarm call.
It eats plants and some insects and is diurnal (active during the day).
African ground squirrels use their large, bushy tails to shade themselves from the heat.Sometimes, they will lie with their bellies to the ground and their legs stretched out, taking in the sun.
Some people consider African ground squirrels to be pests, while others keep them as pets.