Social Structure
Squirrels live mostly alone, although they occasionally live in small family groups. When two adults meet while foraging, they’ll briefly touch noses and then continue on their way. Although there may be displays of dominance or submission, aggressive behavior is rare.
Communication
Striped ground squirrels communicate distress and alarm with loud calls, often while running to their burrows. They also communicate by rubbing scent glands in their cheeks on objects to release a smell.
Behavior
As their name suggests, striped ground squirrels spend most of their time on the ground rather than in trees. They are active in daytime, though move to shady spots or burrows during the hottest part of the day. When they get very hot, they lie with their bellies pressed against cool sand or stone to cool off. They either dig their own burrows or find rocky niches, crevices made by tree roots, or termite mounds. They select a different burrow each night and, despite their solitary nature, will tolerate other striped ground squirrels visiting their burrow.
Conservation
Striped ground squirrels are listed as a species of lower risk, because there are so many of them in such a large range.