Baja California Rock Squirrel

Open encyclopedia reference

The Baja California rock squirrel (Otospermophilus atricapillus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Baja California, Mexico. Otospermophilus atricapillus is considered as the sister species of Otospermophilus beecheyi and both have been considered different species mainly by its colorations. The rock squirrel is a relatively large ground squirrel, with males typically larger than females. Their fur is generally gray with a mottled or variegated pattern, giving them a distinctive appearance. Their tails are long and bushy, often used for balance and communication. Their heads are broad with small, rounded ears and large, expressive eyes.

Wikipedia contributors, Baja California rock squirrel; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T12:52:51.966635+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.

Identity & source status

Scientific name

Otospermophilus atricapillus (Bryant, 1889)

Name authority

(Bryant, 1889)

Common name

Baja California Rock Squirrel

Rank

species

Accepted status

accepted

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Mammalia

Order

Rodentia

Family

Sciuridae

Genus

Otospermophilus

Extinction status

Recorded extant

Classification family tree

Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.

1. domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
2. kingdomAnimalia
3. phylumChordata
4. subphylumVertebrata
5. infraphylumGnathostomata
6. parvphylumOsteichthyes
7. megaclassTetrapoda
8. classMammalia Linnaeus, 1758
9. subclassTheria Parker & Haswell, 1897
10. infraclassEutheria Gill, 1872
11. orderRodentia Bowdich, 1821
12. suborderSciuromorpha Brandt, 1855
13. familySciuridae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817
14. subfamilyXerinae Osborn, 1910
15. tribeMarmotini Pocock, 1923
16. genusOtospermophilus Brandt, 1844
17. speciesOtospermophilus atricapillus (Bryant, 1889)

Close classified relatives

These entries share the source’s genus, Otospermophilus. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.

Browse 219 records assigned to Sciuridae.

Names & synonyms

Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.

Documented distribution

Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.

Source literature & publication evidence

References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.

1. https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=930300 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references

Origins, evidence & remaining research

Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.

Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.

Dataset citation & attribution

This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11

Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.

Stable key: col:75DL7. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.