▁and ▁the ▁T aur us ▁ground ▁squ ir rel , ▁its ▁closest ▁living ▁relatives , ▁around ▁five ▁million ▁years ▁ago . ▁This ▁coinc ides ▁with ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Bos por us , ▁and ▁the ▁subsequent ▁separation ▁of ▁An atol ia ▁from ▁Europe , ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁Mi oc ene . ▁During ▁the ▁last ▁Ice ▁Age , ▁they ▁may ▁have ▁surv ived ▁in ▁small ▁mountain ▁ref ug ia ▁in ▁the ▁An atol ian ▁region . ▁ ▁Conserv ation ▁Because ▁Asia ▁Minor ▁ground ▁squ ir rel s ▁will ▁consume ▁agricult ural ▁gra ins ▁when ▁they ▁are ▁available , ▁they ▁are ▁considered ▁a ▁p est ▁in ▁many ▁areas , ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁poison ed . ▁In ▁consequence , ▁the ▁increase ▁of ▁agricult ure ▁in ▁central ▁An atol ia ▁led ▁to ▁decl ines ▁of ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁ 2 0 – 2 5 % ▁in ▁ground ▁squ ir rel ▁populations ▁over ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁twenty - first ▁century . ▁In ▁view ▁of ▁this ▁decl ine ▁the ▁International ▁Union ▁for ▁Conserv ation ▁of ▁Nature ▁re - class ified ▁the ▁Asia ▁Minor ▁ground ▁squ ir rel ▁as ▁" N ear ▁Th re aten ed " ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁edition ▁of ▁the ▁IU CN ▁Red ▁List ; ▁the ▁species ▁previously ▁having ▁been ▁considered ▁as ▁of ▁Le ast ▁Conc ern . ▁Asia ▁Minor ▁ground ▁squ ir rel s ▁also ▁have ▁legal ▁protection ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Turkey . ▁ ▁External ▁links ▁▁ ▁Video ▁of ▁An atol ian ▁ground ▁squ ir rel ▁ ▁Video