Insects are found in stomachs in small numbers throughout the year and include grasshoppers, beetles, Jerusalem crickets, and ants. From March through September, lizards were frequently encountered in stomach remains. In Arizona, antelope ground squirrels may compete for garden produce, for field notes indicate that in some areas they have been found with seeds of watermelon grapes, muskmelon, and the green leaves of alfalfa. These squirrels not only hoard food items in their burrows, but also make caches in the ground like many tree squirrels. The young remain in the burrow for another month before emerging.
Females seemingly produce but one litter a year.
Even during the hottest summer weather, they may be seen foraging above ground. During these foraging bouts the squirrels may overheat slightly, then retire to the coooler temperatures of their burrows to cool off. They do not cool evaporatively, and hence are not water-stressed by this behavior. During the summer the squirrels occupy burrows individually, except for the association of females and unweaned young. In the winter, however, the animals live several in a burrow, conserving heat during the night by huddling.