Situation in Spain The ground squirrel (ardilla moruna) lives in the Canaries and is the only species of invasive squirrel in Spanish territory. It was the introduced in Fuerteventura in 1965 from the African Spanish colony of Ifni, and adapted well to the island's arid conditions, now numbering 300,000. Unsurprisingly, this makes it the most visible wild mammal on the island.
Its erradictaion is seen as impractical on Fuerteventura, with efforts concentrated on its spread to other islands (Gran Canaria and Lanzarote) . 
Translation Barbary ground squirrel : ardilla moruna : Atlantoxerus getulus |