What is a Xerus? A Xerus is a mammal that sometimes goes by the name African ground squirrel. It lives in Africa in grasslands, savannas, and deserts. It is omnivorous, diurnal and gives birth to one to three live pups. Xerus have spiky fur, very short ears, and long tails. They can make a chattering sound. During heat or drought they enter burrows and allow body temperatures to drop and body functions to slow. Their back legs can rotate to descend trees head first to avoid predators and reach food.
Is Xerus and squirrel the same?
Xerus belongs to the squirrel family Sciuridae. These squirrels are native to Africa. Over time, Xerus evolved for a ground lifestyle. They have strong limbs for digging and foraging.
Xerus is known for adapted behavior, characteristics and intelligence. They live in Africa, the Middle East and India. Xerus can learn, solve problems and recall memory.
There are four Xerus subspecies. A group of xerus is sometimes called a colony. Colonies can have up to 20 individuals.
Xerus height is 17 to 18 inches without the tail. The tail is 7.5 to 10.2 inches, about one third of length. Tails give protection from heat. Size depends on subspecies.
Xerus eat nuts, roots and seeds. Foods like nuts and seeds are stored around burrows. Xerus are omnivores. Their diet includes palm nuts, banana, pawpaw, pods, grains, yams, roots, insects, vertebrates and eggs.
Xerus live in savannas, light forests, deserts and semi-deserts. They are diurnal and live in burrows. During heat or drought they enter burrows and allow body temperature and functions to slow. This allows living in extreme environments.
The Cape ground squirrel resembles the red squirrel but lives in burrows, not trees. It has black skin and a coarse coat without underfur. Length is 22 to 26 cm, similar to the tail.
Male Cape ground squirrels weigh 423–649 grams, larger than 444–600 gram females. Length is 424–476 mm for males and 435–446 mm for females. They have adaptations to live in extreme environments.
Are Xerus endangered?
Xerus are not endangered. In fact, they are sometimes called pests because of their habit of eating farmer’s crops. Categorized as least concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Xerus have a stable population. Their predators include snakes, lizards, and jackals. Xerus erythropus, sometimes known as the African ground squirrel, is a native of Africa. They can live for around 11.5 years in captivity. Their height is between 17 to 18 inches, excluding the tail.
African ground squirrels are considered gregarious with coarse, short fur. Their ears are usually small and they have long, curved claws not allowing them to climb trees. Why are xerus endangered? Their population has decreased by 80 percent in the last decade due habitat destruction and overhunting. Conservation efforts are crucial to prevent extinction. The Cape ground squirrel or South African ground squirrel (Xerus inauris) is found in southern Africa, from South Africa to Botswana and Namibia, including Etosha National Park.
Ground squirrels are herbivorous. After hibernation, they feed on green plants. Xerus dwell in open dry grassland or woodlands. They have long tails with spiky fur and short ears. Due to their crop consumption rate, they are called pests. Their sharp claws are essential to dig extensive burrow systems for protection and shelter from predators and weather. In some parts of Africa Xerus erythropus are hunted for their meat. Mature males form groups of about 20. Females live in groups of one to four with their pups.
How do we pronounce Xerus?
Pronunciation of Xerus. Xerus can be pronounced K-RUS. Pronounce Xerus in: English, English (UK), English (Canada), English (Australia), English (India), Catalan, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, French (Canada), German, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Spanish (Mexico), Swedish.
Xerus means a genus of African ground squirrels with coarse hair and long tails.
How do you pronounce “the”? There are two ways. One sounds like “thuh” and the other like “thee”. The pronunciation depends on the first sound of the next word.
Is Xerus a word? Yes, it means an African ground squirrel.
XERUS has these pronunciations: “zeer-uhs”, “zee-nee-al zee-rus”. The accent is on the first syllable in both.
Xerus live in Africa in open areas like woodlands and grasslands. They communicate with sounds. A Xerus weighs about 600 grams.