▁their ▁distinct ▁ident ities . ▁ ▁They ▁feed ▁primarily ▁on ▁se eds , ▁leaves , ▁and ▁sho ots ▁of ▁hard y ▁plants ▁such ▁as ▁co ck le bur , ▁star - th ist le , ▁she ph erd ' s ▁pur se , ▁must ard , ▁wild ▁on ion , ▁speed well , ▁and ▁wild ▁gra ins , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁domestic ated ▁cro ps . ▁Although ▁primarily ▁her b iv orous , ▁they ▁may ▁also ▁eat ▁small ▁in verte br ates . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁relatively ▁ar id ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁preferred ▁habitat , ▁they ▁rarely , ▁if ▁ever , ▁drink ▁free - standing ▁water , ▁obtain ing ▁all ▁they ▁need ▁from ▁their ▁di et . ▁Natural ▁pred ators ▁include ▁e agle ▁ow ls , ▁bu zz ards , ▁fal cons , ▁and ▁red ▁fo xes . ▁ ▁Be hav iour ▁Asia ▁Minor ▁ground ▁squ ir rel s ▁are ▁di urn al , ▁bur row ing , ▁animals , ▁that ▁hibernate ▁through ▁the ▁winter . ▁Their ▁regular ▁bur rows ▁are ▁simple ▁t unn els ▁about ▁ ▁deep . ▁However , ▁bur rows ▁used ▁for ▁nest ing ▁or ▁hi bern ation ▁may ▁be ▁as ▁deep ▁as ▁, ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁additional ▁ent ran ces ▁and ▁deep ▁nest ing ▁and ▁food ▁storage ▁ch amb ers . ▁They ▁generally ▁hibernate ▁from ▁September ▁to ▁March , ▁although ▁the ▁exact ▁timing ▁depends ▁on ▁the ▁local ▁climate . ▁Hi bern ation ▁in ▁the ▁Asia ▁Minor ▁ground ▁squ ir rel ▁consists ▁of ▁b outs ▁of ▁tor por ▁last ing