The small, pale, quick ground squirrel of the dunes, and the barrier-island specialist of the group.
It is distinguished from its relative below by its spots, which are scattered irregularly over the
back rather than arranged in rows, and by its shorter tail — about a third of total length. Adults
run about 214 mm long and 100 to 125 g (NSRL). NSRL gives its Texas range as the western half of the
state and southward through the Rio Grande Plains, and explicitly records it living in the sand
dunes of Mustang Island on the Texas coast, which is the same barrier-island dune habitat South
Padre offers.
These squirrels are described as extremely shy, active mostly in early morning and late afternoon,
and reluctant to travel far from a burrow entrance — which is why the usual view is a blur crossing
a sand road. Their diet is green vegetation and seeds, including cactus pulp, saltbush seed, sandbur
and sunflower, plus grasshoppers and beetles. Look for them in the open dune scrub behind Andy Bowie
and Atwood parks and along the sandy shoulders of the road north of town, in warm daylight.
Observe responsibly
Wildlife, tides and access conditions change. Keep a respectful distance, do not feed wildlife, stay out of dunes and marked nesting areas, and use current official rules before fishing or handling any catch.