| Colorado chipmunk | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Neotamias |
| Species: | N. quadrivittatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Neotamias quadrivittatus (Say, 1823) |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Tamias quadrivittatus |
|
The Colorado chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus) is a species of rodent in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.[1]
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It can be found most often in coniferous forests, woodlands, montane shrub lands, and alpine tundra habitats. This means that in elevation, T. quadrivittatus inhabits anywhere above 1,800 feet and below 2,200 feet (Bergstrom & Hoffmann, 1991). See Range Here This western American dweller is the largest of the three species of chipmunks found in the Colorado Front Range (which also include the Lesser Chipmunk and the Uinta Chipmunk) . On average it weighs about 62g. Chipmunks are distinguished from ground squirrels in that their faces have a stripe going across under the eye (Clear Creek County). There are no dimorphic differences between males and females. Their vocalizations are essential for defending their territories.(Bergstrom & Hoffman, 1991).
Their diet consists of seeds, berries, flowers and insects. (Colorado Division of Wildlife) They like to collect food in the fall and cache it for the winter.
Depending on the elevation that the chipmunk is found it may range from 1-2 litters. Most commonly copulation occurs in the spring when the chipmunks emerge from their burrows. The females are only receptive of males for a limited couple of days after emerging from the burrow. About a month after copulation, the female will give birth to a litter that may have anywhere between 5-8 altricial young. Within 40-50 days they will be weaned from their mother (Nelson, 2009)
Colorado Division of Wildlife: http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/wildlifespx.asp?SpCode=051014
Clear Creek County: http://clearcreekcounty.org/chipmunk/
Untamed Science: Nelson, R. 2009. "Colorado Chipmunk" (OnLine) UntamedScience. Accessed Nov 27, 2011 at http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/animals/chordates/mammals/rodents/squirrels/tamias/colorado-chipmunk http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/animals/chordates/mammals/rodents/squirrels/tamias/colorado-chipmunk
Bergstrom, J.B. and Hoffman, S.R. (1991) Distribution and diagnosis of three species of chipmunks (Tamias) in the Front Range of
Colorado, The Southwestern Naturalist. 26(1),14-28.
Sullivan, R.M. (1996). Genetics, ecology, and conservation of montane populations of Colorado chipmunks (Tamias
quadrivittatus). Journal of Mammalogy,77(4),951-975.
