California mammals

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel in California

Ammospermophilus leucurus

Native to California SNR Unranked in California

Not listed as nonindigenous in California by USGS NAS; native to its California range.

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

White-tailed antelope squirrel showing the pale flank stripe and white tail undersideWhite-tailed antelope squirrel perched on desert woodWhite-tailed antelope squirrel on red desert rockWhite-tailed antelope squirrel in rocky desert wash habitatWhite-tailed antelope squirrel on a Joshua tree branch
Photo: Renee Grayson from Las Vegas, USA · CC BY 2.0White-tailed antelope squirrel showing the pale flank stripe and white tail undersidePhoto: VJAnderson · CC BY-SA 4.0White-tailed antelope squirrel perched on desert woodPhoto: Renee Grayson from Las Vegas, USA · CC BY 2.0White-tailed antelope squirrel on red desert rockPhoto: Marshal Hedin from San Diego · CC BY 2.0White-tailed antelope squirrel in rocky desert wash habitatPhoto: Joshua Tree National Park · Public domainWhite-tailed antelope squirrel on a Joshua tree branch

White-tailed Antelope Squirrel in California, by the numbers

Common in California 31st most recorded of 241 mammals logged in California

5,916 occurrence records
3,863 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

5,916 total records count every California occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 5,889 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the White-tailed Antelope Squirrel in California

Most sightings fall in March to May.

5,889 California occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly California records (table)
MonthRecords
January359
February485
March735
April865
May811
June503
July284
August317
September338
October462
November346
December384

Monthly white-tailed antelope squirrel occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in California, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in California, with recorded sightings peaking in March–May.

Occurrence map

Where White-tailed Antelope Squirrel has been recorded in California

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 California records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Joshua Tree National Park 1,063
San Bernardino National Forest 647
Santa Rosa And San Jacinto National Monument 224
Death Valley National Park 222
Mojave National Preserve 174
Red Rock Canyon State Park 30
Mojave Trails National Monument 23
Owens Peak Wilderness Area 15

Protected places with the most white-tailed antelope squirrel sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in California

CountyRecords
Riverside County 2,369
San Bernardino County 1,391
Inyo County 651
San Diego County 604
Kern County 426
Los Angeles County 210
Imperial County 126
Mono County 61
Lassen County 40
San Luis Obispo County 12
Modoc County 8
Madera County 2
2 other counties 16

The complete county distribution, spread across 14 California counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

White-tailed antelope squirrel reports spread across California’s Mojave and Colorado deserts. Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and the Mojave National Preserve anchor the pattern, with observations following open scrub and rocky desert ground.

Reports rise through late winter and crest from March into May, before the harshest summer heat. They continue in every month, but cooler-season travel and park visitation help shape the curve. California contributes a large share of this species’ mapped records, though that reflects reporting effort as well as its broad desert range here.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

White-tailed antelope squirrel showing the pale flank stripe and white tail underside
Full species profile White-tailed Antelope Squirrel Ammospermophilus leucurus Size 18.8–23.9 cm7.4–9.4 in Weight 97 g3.4 oz Lifespan 1 yr View the full profile

More mammals in California in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

  • GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
  • iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
  • NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
  • Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
  • USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"