Long-eared chipmunk
| Long-eared chipmunk | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Neotamias |
| Species: | N. quadrimaculatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Neotamias quadrimaculatus (J. E. Gray,1867)
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| Long-eared chipmunk range | |
| Synonyms | |
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Tamias quadrimaculatusJ. E. Gray, 1867 | |
Thelong-eared chipmunk(Neotamias quadrimaculatus), also called theSacramento chipmunkor thefour-banded chipmunk,is a species ofrodentin the squirrel family,Sciuridae.It isendemicto the central and northernSierra NevadaofCaliforniaandNevadain theUnited States.[1]Long-eared chipmunks have the longest ears of all species of chipmunks.[2]
Description
[edit]Male long-eared chipmunks range from 23.0–23.9 centimeters (9.1–9.4 in) in total length, while females range from 23.0–24.5 centimeters (9.1–9.6 in). The tail makes up a large part of the total length, ranging from 8.5–10.0 centimeters (3.3–3.9 in) in males and 9.0–10.1 centimeters (3.5–4.0 in) in females. Males weigh from 74.1–89.0 grams (2.61–3.14 oz), and females weigh from 81.0–105.0 grams (2.86–3.70 oz). The chipmunks are bright red-brown in color, displaying five dark stripes and four pale stripes on their backs. They also have large, noticeable white patches at the base of both ears.[2]
Behavior
[edit]Long-eared chipmunks arediurnal.They forage on the ground forfungi,seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects, though in the fall they will climbconifertrees to eat seeds from the cones. The chipmunks hibernate in a den on the ground from November until March, and live in burrows or tree hollows the rest of the year. They mate in late April and May, and the young are born after one month ofgestation.[2]
References
[edit]- ^abCassola, F. (2016)."Neotamias quadrimaculatus".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T42575A22267619.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T42575A22267619.en.Retrieved12 November2021.
- ^abcWilson, Don E.; Ruff, Sue, eds. (1999).The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals.Smithsonian Institution. pp.375–376.ISBN978-1-56098-845-8.