My friends and I saw the Barbary ground squirrels while climbing a mountain in Fuerteventura, Spain, which is one of the Canary Islands. We were on our way to see the Arco de las Peñitas, which is an arch shaped rock formation at the top of the mountain. While we were climbing, we stumbled upon this adorable creature. They moved so fast that we didn't know what we were looking at at first. However, they can be found all throughout the island, and also in a few parts of nearby Lanzarote, so we were able to get a closer look eventually. They are originally from North Africa, specifically Morocco and Western Sahara, where they live in dry, rocky deserts.
The Barbary ground squirrel lives in dry, rocky, desert-like areas of Fuerteventura. It uses burrows in the ground or cracks between rocks to hide from predators, and escape the heat during the day. It eats whatever the island has, including seeds, nuts, fruits, and small insects. However, finding water is difficult because Fuerteventura is very dry, so the Barbary ground squirrel gets most of its water from food, rather than drinking.
There aren’t many predators that can harm the Barbary ground squirrel on the island. However, birds of prey and cats can hunt them. Many squirrels live near roads and tourist areas, so, unfortunately, they sometimes get run over or fed harmful foods.
In bittersweet news, the locals are not worried about them, despite the fact that this beautiful animal is an invasive species.
