Having just completed our perennial data plots last week to characterize community composition and distribution of shrubs in the Ft Irwin area (where the Desert Tortoise is being relocated off expanding army lands), we’ve started a similar study on Mojave Ground Squirrel habitat last week. Although the Mojave Ground Squirrel is an elusive creature (making estimates of population size difficult), it is currently under review to be listed under the Endangered Species Act due to loss of habitat and habitat degradation. This is easy enough for us to understand as we drive through areas in their range which have been decimated due to off-road vehicle use allowing invasives such as Russian Thistle to take over these disturbed sites. Even in such areas rodent holes are prevalent and sometimes make getting to our study plots difficult since one wrong step on top of their intricate underground burrows could lead to one foot buried knee deep in sand. The other day my field partner Heiki stepped accidentely into one of these burrows and ended up with a bewildered Kangeroo Rat riding on his bootlaces for several seconds. No sign of the Mojave Ground Squirrel although they tend to hibernate when food is scarce from August to March. It’s possible that we have seen a few dashing ahead of our vehicles on back roads but since there are so many rodents in the Mojave and since none of us are self proclaimed rodent experts, we have no idea which ones they are. In several weeks we’re camping in Death Valley National Park in order to gather perennial data. Not looking forward to the heat (which may be unbearable mid-August) but I am looking forward to spending some time in this very beautiful and dramatic landscape. We’ll bring lots and lots of water!
Thats all for now.

Cheerio
Nora Talkington