The California ground squirrel (Spermophilus beecheyi) is responsible for severe crop damage, and burrows can weaken levees and present hazards for livestock and humans. While control efforts using rodenticides have been effective in reducing the number of animals on a given site, repopulation into the old burrow systems commonly occurs. Destroying burrow systems could inhabit reinvasion of a site, although destruction methods attempted have not met with success. A better understanding of burrow structure should lead to better management strategies. We excavated 15 burrows on 3 different terrain types (slopes) and determined that California ground squirrels burrow at relatively the same depth regardless of slope. However, as slope increases, squirrels tend to burrow in a more horizontal direction which likely is a more efficient excavation method. Burrow structure was similar among terrain types, indicating that control strategies would not need to vary among sites.
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