There are two principle species of ground squirrels, the California, the Rock, which are of economic importance in our Arizona, New Mexico and West Texas.

Ground squirrels can become a problem in the yard and around the home when their burrows lead to flooding. Their presence brings fleas and other insects or even worse, the transmission of disease. Ground squirrels will readily eat our gardens fruit and vegetables as well as our nuts and flowers. If left alone, they will quickly populate to levels which can cause mass destruction in little time. They will even move into our homes if given the chance.

The California ground squirrel is limited in it's range to mostly the west coast from the state of Washington down to Mexico. They like flat grasslands as opposed to forests but will live close to trees if they have to. They don't need much water and will readily feed upon any green vegetation including flowers, fruits and plants. They will also eat nuts and seeds. They live in burrows they dig and will occupy these burrows year after year. They have litters which have 7-10 young once a year. They live 3-5 years on average.

The house mouse is the species of mouse everyone thinks of when they hear the word mouse. It is because they live in close association with humans that they are one of the most familiar small mammals to humans. House mice are similar in size to our native deer mouse but they are a solid grayish-brown color above and below. Their tail is also scaly like a Norway rat and not covered with fur like the deer mouse.