Cape ground squirrel

This squirrel has bristly and coarse short hair that covers its body. The dorsal parts of the fur are cinnamon colored and have lighter and darker variation among individuals. The face, underbelly, sides of neck and ventral parts of limbs are white, while the skin is black. The sides of its body each have a white stripe that extends from shoulder to thigh. The eyes have white lines around them. The tail is flattened dorso-ventrally and covered with white hair and 2 black bands at the base. They are generally diurnal, do not hibernate and live in clusters of burrows averaging around 700 m2 (7,500 sq ft) with 2-100 entrances. The burrows protect the squirrels from extreme temperatures at the surface as well as predators. They eat bulbs, fruits, grasses, herbs, insects and shrubs.