Gray footed chipmunk

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Gray footed chipmunk
Systematics
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Ground Squirrel (Xerinae)
Tribe : Real ground squirrels (Marmotini)
Genre : Chipmunk ( Tamias )
Type : Gray footed chipmunk
Scientific name
Tamias canipes
( V. Bailey , 1902)

The gray- footed chipmunk ( Tamias canipes , Syn .: Neotamias canipes ) is a type of squirrel from the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ). It occurs in parts of New Mexico and Texas in the United States .

features

The gray-footed chipmunk reaches an average head-trunk length of about 13 centimeters, the tail is significantly shorter with 9.8 to 10.8 centimeters and the weight is about 70 grams. The fur of the animals is pale orange-brown to cinnamon, on the back there are - as is typical for the species - five dark back stripes, which are separated by lighter stripes. It differs from other species by the gray color of the upper side of the hind feet, compared to the little chipmunk ( Tamias minimus ) it is slightly larger.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the gray-footed chipmunk

The gray-footed chipmunk is found in parts of New Mexico and Texas in the United States . In New Mexico it is limited to the southeast of the state in the Capitan , Jicarilla , Gallinas and the Sacramento Mountains with the Sierra Blanca at heights of 1,600 to 3,600 meters, in Texas it occurs only in the western part in the Guadalupe Mountains and the Sierra Diablo at altitudes of 1,800 to 2,500 meters.

Way of life

The gray-footed chipmunk is a type of forest in the higher mountains that lives primarily on the edge of the forest and prefers areas with comparatively large amounts of fallen wood and leaves on the ground. It occurs in various forest and shrubbery habitats as well as on lava fields and scree areas. The habitats are often characterized by the occurrence of Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ) and yellow pines ( Pinus ponderosa ). The species is also more common in thinned forest stands and young forest stands than in older, dense forest areas.

The species is diurnal and primarily living on the ground, but as good climbers it can also climb trees and bushes and look for food in the branches. The animals feed mainly herbivorous of seeds from the cones of coniferous trees, juniper fruits, mushrooms and acorns , the latter mainly through winter make up the late summer the main part of the diet. Insects can also be part of the diet. They are mostly active in the early morning when they are looking for food. The animals spend the winter especially in October and keep over the winter, a winter rest , where they remain during the whole winter in the nest and create food reserves there. The nests are created under piles of wood, in tree stumps and roots as well as in burrows.

The breeding season is late spring to early summer and the young are born from late May and June to August and they leave the mother animals in autumn. When in danger, they emit a high-pitched and clipped scream similar to that of the gray-necked chipmunk ( Tamias cinereicollis ) and the Colorado chipmunk ( Tamias quadrivittatus ). No information is available about potential predators; Eimeria cochisensis and Eimeria dorsalis have been documented as parasites .

Systematics

The gray-footed chipmunk is classified as an independent species within the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ), which consists of 25 species. The first scientific description comes from the American naturalist Vernon Orlando Bailey from 1902, who introduced the species as Eutamias cinereicollis canipes using individuals from the Guadalupe Mountains in Culberson County , Texas. The site was later narrowed down to Dog Canyon by Arthur Holmes Howell . Within the chipmunk group, the gray- footed chipmunk is assigned to the subgenus Neotamias , which is also discussed as an independent genus, together with most of the other species . It was originally considered a subspecies of the gray-necked chipmunk ( Tamias cinereicollis ) and has been a separate species since the end of the 20th century.

Within the species, two subspecies are distinguished with the nominate form :

  • Tamias canipes canipes : nominate form; occurs in most of the range.
  • Tamias canipes sacramentoensis : occurs only in the Sacramento Mountains in New Mexico. In contrast to the nominate form, the subspecies has a sexual dimorphism in which the males are smaller than the females.

Status, threat and protection

The gray-footed chipmunk is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as "not endangered" (least concern). Although it is limited to a very limited range of less than 20,000 km 2 , it is classified as relatively common and there are no known risks to its existence. However, smaller populations are susceptible to forest fires .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 319-320. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  2. ↑ a b c d Neotamias cinereicollis in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species 2015.3. Listed by: AV Linzey & NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2015.
  3. ↑ a b Tamias (Neotamias) canipes In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
  4. ↑ Vernon Orlando Bailey : Seven new mammals from western Texas. Proceedings of The Biological Society of Washington 15, 1902; Pp. 117-120. ( Digitized version )
  5. ^ A b Troy L. Best , Jarel L. Bartig, Clayton D. Hilton: Tamias canipes. Mammalian Species 411, 1992.
  6. ↑ Bruce D. Patterson, Ryan W. Norris: Towards a uniform nomenclature for ground squirrels: the status of the Holarctic chipmunks. Mammalia 80 (3), May 2016; Pp. 241-251 doi : 10.1515 / mammalia-2015-0004

literature

Web links