California Ground Squirrels prefer open, well-drained habitat, and are common along roadsides, on farms, especially where grain is grown, and in grassy fields. Adult squirrels are active only a few months of the year. Learn more about the Spermophilus beecheyi, more commonly known as a California Ground Squirrel, in this easy-to-read species overview by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.