Asked by Idk

Ground squirrels are found in many areas of the United States. They live in underground burrows and are often attacked by birds of prey, coyotes, and bobcats. Which of the following is a limiting factor for a ground squirrel population?
a population of tree squirrels
a population of hawks
genetic variability
breeding season

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
A population of hawks.

Explanation: Hawks are predators (birds of prey) that directly reduce ground squirrel numbers and thus act as a limiting factor. The other choices are less directly limiting: tree squirrels are a different niche/competition is unlikely primary here, genetic variability affects long-term adaptability rather than immediate population size, and breeding season limits reproduction timing but the question context points to predation as the limiting factor.