208 Xerus princepstrances resemble those of X. inauris. X. princeps entrances are
often accompanied by low mounds of earth and debris that
were removed during excavation. Burrows are positioned
80 m or more away from other systems, and as near as 200
m to X. inauris colonies. Because of their insulation, bur-
rows off er respite from the arid climate. During the sum-
mer, burrows remain at 25°C at night, in contrast to the out-
side temperature of 10°C, and at 32°C during the day, when
the outside temperature is 38°C. The squirrels are highly
resilient to the high temperatures of the area, however, and
remain comfortably active at temperatures as high as 35°C.
The animal utilizes its tail as a sunshade and moves to the
shade of vegetation and rocks when the heat of the day be-
comes too strong. Damara ground squirrels do not tend to
return to their burrows during the day; even when dis-
turbed, they run to the nearest protective object, such as a
rock or bush. They may stray up to 1 km away from their
sleeping burrow. The Damara ground squirrel is a host for
the pulicid fl ea (Ctenocephalides connatus).
general references: De Graaff 1981; Haim et al. 1987;
Herzig-Straschil and Herzig 1989; Herzig-Straschil et al.
1991; A. Roberts 1951; T. L. Robinson et al. 1986; Shortridge
1934a; Skinner and Chimimba 2005; Thomas 1929; Water-
man and Herron 2004; F. Zumpt 1966.
Xerus rutilus (Cretzschmar, 1828)
Unstriped Ground Squirrel
description: As its name suggests, the unstriped ground
squirrel can be distinguished from other African ground
squirrels by the absence of lateral stripes on its pelage. The
dorsa l coat is coarse in texture and ranges in color from pa le
tan to red brown, with individuals in drier regions having a
paler coloration. The dorsum and the tail are grizzled with
light and dark hairs, while the ventral pelage and the feet are
uniformly paler than the dorsal coat. The hair on the belly
is sparser than on the back of the animal. The eye ring is
white or buff.size: Female—HB 229.1 mm (n = 16); T 182.6 mm (n = 16);
Mass 252.0 g (n = 2).
Male—HB 268.1 mm (n = 13); T 187.8 mm (n = 13); Mass
306.7 g (n = 3).
Sex not stated—HB 226.2 mm (n = 8); T 202.5 mm (n = 2);
Mass 368.8 g (n = 6).distribution: The unstriped ground squirrel is an East Af-
rican species common in the Somali-Masai arid zone. Its
range stretches from northeastern Tanzania north through
Kenya, eastern Uganda, Somalia, eastern Ethiopia, Djibouti,
eastern Eritrea, and slightly into eastern and southern Su-
dan. An isolated population has been reported in the east-
central part of Sudan, on the White Nile.geographic variation: Eight subspecies are recognized.
Records for Djibouti are identifi ed only at the species level.X. r. rutilus—Massawa (Eritrea) and slightly into eastern Su-
dan. See description above.
X. r. dabagala—northern Somalia. This form has a yellowish
dorsal area.
X. r. dorsalis—western Kenya into eastern Uganda and south-
ern Sudan. This form has a darker head, a fainter yellow
tinge on the fl anks, and white underparts and feet.Xerus princeps. Photo courtesy Jane Waterman.