Rock Squirrel Photographs, Video, and Sound Recording, Phoenix, Arizona
Rock Squirrels are
common residents in areas with rocky hills and places where boulders
provide lookout locations. They are frequently seen on the watch
for predators, perched on a big rock. Rock Squirrels are appropriately
named. They will live in urban areas where there is a way for
them to get under big rocks, foot bridges, ot other man-made structures.
They will live also live in the crawl spaces under roofs if they
can get in there.
The young appear consistently in the first week of May in Phoenix where these photos were taken.
Rock Squirrel Vocalization, Phoenix, July 26, 2007
More photos and video below....
Adult Rock Squirrel, December, 2005
The adult squirrels gradually get a mottled charcoal gray color on their back. Rock Squirrels are the biggest squirrels seen in the low desert areas such as Phoenix.
Usually several juvenile
Rock Squirrels are born in the same litter, here one juvenile
is munching an some bread and three juveniles are looking out
from under a foot bridge where the burrow is located.
Use the following link to see a short (1.7mb) video of an adult squirrel in from of the burrow as two juveniles come running to get inside. The burrow is made in the same way as Burrowing Owl burrows are made (artificial owl burrows can be seen at other locations on this website).
adult and juvenile rock squirrel video, May 5, 2007, Phoenix, AZ.
More juvenile squirrels at burrows video:
Copyright Greg Clark, 2007