Cape ground squirrel

The Cape ground squirrel has black skin with a coat made of short stiff hairs without underfur. The fur is cinnamon on the back while the face, underbelly, sides of neck and ventral sides of limbs are white. The sides of its body each have a white stripe that stretches from the shoulders to the thighs. The eyes are fairly large and have white lines around them. The pinnae are small. The tail is flattened on the back and underside and is covered with white hair and two black bands at the base. The Cape ground's sexual dimorphism is subtle. Males usually weigh , 8 to 12 percent more than females at . Male Cape ground squirrels have a total length of , while females are long. The belly and groin area of the females each have two pairs of mammary glands. The glans penis of the males are large with a prominent baculum. This species is notable for its impressively large testicles, which are roughly golf ball size, around 20% of the length of the head and body. Moulting occurs between August and September and between March and April, once per year. ==Distribution==

The Cape ground squirrel is widespread in southern Africa; through Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, and Namibia. Its range covers most of Namibia but is absent from coastal regions and the northwest. In South Africa, it can be found in central and north-central areas. ==Behaviour and ecology==

Cape ground squirrels live mainly in arid or semiarid areas. with 2-100 entrances. Burrows serve to protect the squirrel from extreme temperatures at the surface as well as predators. Nevertheless, most of the day is spent feeding at the surface. Burrowing has been shown to reduce the squirrel's core body temperature by a few degrees Celsius. Dust bathing is also done. Ground squirrels eat bulbs, fruits, grasses, herbs, insects and shrubs. The burrows of Cape ground squirrels are also used by meerkats and yellow mongooses. While Cape ground squirrels and meerkats appear to have a mutual relationship, mongoose and squirrel relations appear to be more commensal. When threatened by predators ground squirrels engage in mobbing behaviour: several squirrels rush at the predator while using their bushy tails to block it. When the predator strikes back, all the squirrels back off. However, multiple mobbings are usually successful in driving away predators. Adult males live separately from females and only join when the females are in estrus. Unlike female groups, male groups are not territorial, and membership is very open. but mating occurs mostly in dry winter months. In groups, only one female at a time enters oestrus which lasts around three hours. Gestation lasts around 48 days or 42–49 days. Lactation begins not long before the pups are born. A lactating female isolates herself in a separate burrow to care for their young but she returns to her group after weaning or if her litter is lost for some reason. There are 1-3 pups in a litter. They are born altricial, hairless and blind. The pups stay in the burrows for their first 45 days. By 35 days, the eyes are open. Seven days after emerging from the burrows, the pups can eat solid food. Lactation ends at around 52 days. Males reach sexual maturity at eight months while female mature at 10 months. The former leave their natal groups while the latter remain. ==Status==

The Cape ground squirrels populations does not seem to be threatened overall. In some areas, it is persecuted as an agricultural pest. In addition, humans have used poisonous grass to control ground squirrel due to crop damage and rabies. It inhabits protected areas, such as Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Botswana and South Africa and Etosha National Park in Namibia. ==Gallery==

File:Xerus inauris.JPG|Young Cape ground squirrels File:Erdhörnchen 011.jpg|Ground squirrel at burrow entrance File:Xerus inauris 1.jpg| Cape ground squirrels File:Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) male.gif| Male eating, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, South Africa ==References==