Least Chipmunk
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| Tamias minimus (Bachman, 1839) |
The Least Chipmunk, Tamias minimus, is a small squirrel-like rodent, the smallest North American member of the chipmunk genus, Tamias.
They have three dark lines with white in between along their face and five black stripes with brown edges and white in between along their back. They are grey and reddish-brown on the upperparts and greyish white on their underparts. Their tail is orange-brown.
They are found in a variety of habitats, especially mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, in the north central and western United States and from British Columbia and the southern Yukon to western Quebec in Canada.
These animals are active during the day and eat seeds, berries, nuts, fruits and insects. Predators include hawks, owls and mustelids.
They breed in early spring. Females produce one litter usually of 5 or 6 young.
They store food in an underground burrow, where they spend the winter. These animals go into a state of torpor for extended periods of time, but do not hibernate.
[edit] References
- Sullivan & Nagorsen (1996). Tamias minimus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006.
