Red-tailed chipmunk
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Red-tailed chipmunk ( Tamias ruficaudus ) |
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| ( AH Howell , 1920) |
The red-tailed chipmunk ( Tamias ruficaudus , syn .: Neotamias ruficaudus ) is a type of squirrel from the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ). It occurs in the American states of Washington , Idaho and Montana as well as in southern Alberta and British Columbia in Canada .
features
The red-tailed chipmunk reaches an average head-torso length of about 12.1 to 12.8 centimeters, the tail length is about 9.8 to 10.3 centimeters and the weight is about 57 to 67 grams. The back color is red to orange brown and as with other species of the genus there are five dark brown to black back stripes on the back, which are separated by gray to yellowish-white stripes. The belly is white to creamy white and the underside of the tail is red-brown with a black and pink border. Compared to the partially sympatric or parapatric subspecies of the small chipmunk ( Tamias minimus ) and the yellow spruce chipmunk ( Tamias amoenus ), the red-tailed chipmunk is slightly larger with a stronger skull, and other species lack the conspicuously red underside of the tail.
distribution
The red-tailed chipmunk found in northwest Washington , northern Idaho, and west Montana in the United States, and southern Alberta and British Columbia in Canada .
Way of life
Red-tailed chipmunks are found in various coniferous forest habitats and live mainly in the more open clearing and forest fringes with denser undergrowth. The species also occurs at different altitudes, each characterized by different coniferous forest compositions. The dense undergrowth, branches and dense bushes are particularly important for the occurrence. Large parts of the distribution area also have snow areas, especially in winter.
The species is diurnal with main activities in the early morning and late afternoon. It lives primarily on the ground, but can also climb trees and bushes. The animals feed mainly herbivorous of seeds and fruits of grasses, shrubs and conifers. The animals collect the food in their cheek pouches and create food stores. The nests of the species consist of plant material and lichens . They are mostly underground under stones, fallen branches or tree stumps and probably laid out as building systems, but there are also above-ground nests in trees and bushes. The animals overwinter from October to April, so they are only active in the six months that spread. Communication occurs primarily between the young and the mother, but it is not well explored. Only limited data is available on population densities and the size of the territories.
The mating season for this species is from April to mid-May at lower altitudes and a little later at higher altitudes. The gestation period is about 31 days and the young are born from late May to late June. The litter consists of two to six, usually four to six, young animals.
In parts of the distribution area, the species occurs sympatric with other chipmunks such as the yellow spruce chipmunk ( Tamias amoenus ) and the small chipmunk ( Tamias minimus ), whereby the red-tailed chipmunk and the small chipmunk occur in higher elevations than the yellow spruce chipmunk. As small mammals, the animals are likely to be preyed on by various predators such as martens, cats and dogs as well as birds of prey and snakes, but no specific data are available. Only the flea Ceratophyllus ciliatus has been documented as a parasite .
Systematics
The red-tailed 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 Arthur Holmes Howell from 1920, who described it as Eutamias ruficaudus using individuals from Upper St. Mary's Lake in Glacier County , Montana. Within the chipmunk group, the red-tailed chipmunk, along with most of the other species, is assigned to the subgenus Neotamias , which is also discussed as an independent genus.
Within the species, together with the nominate form, two subspecies are distinguished:
- Tamias ruficaudus ruficaudus : nominate form; occurs in the eastern part of the distribution area and differs from Tamias ruficaudus simulans in that it has a longer penis bone (baculum)
- Tamias ruficaudus simulans : occurs in the western half of the distribution area. The subspecies is generally paler on the sides of the body and on the top of the tail.
The two subspecies were viewed as separate species, partly due to morphological differences in the skull and penis bone, and recent molecular biological studies also suggest a separation as two species, with hybridizations of both forms. Hybridizations in the Pleistocene have also been proven fossil through molecular biological comparisons with other chipmunks, especially with Tamias amoenus canicaudus .
Status, threat and protection
The red-tailed chipmunk is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as "Least Concern" (LC). This is justified by the relatively large distribution area and the regular occurrence; there are no known risks to the existence of the plant. Only limited data are available for the Canadian part of the distribution area; a potential hazard is assumed here.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 334-335 .
- ^ A b Neotamias ruficaudus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Submitted by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ A b Troy L. Best : Tamias ruficaudus. ( Memento of the original from March 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Mammalian Species 452, 1993.
- ↑ a b Tamias (Neotamias) ruficaudus 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 .
- ↑ 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
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 334-335 .
- Troy L. Best : Tamias ruficaudus. Mammalian Species 452, 1993.
Web links
- Neotamias ruficaudus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Submitted by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2016.