Lodgepole chipmunk
| Lodgepole chipmunk | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Lodgepole chipmunk ( Tamias speciosus ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tamias speciosus | ||||||||||||
| Merriam , 1890 |
The lodgepole chipmunk ( Tamias speciosus , syn .: Neotamias speciosus ) is a type of squirrel from the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ). It occurs only in the east of the American state of California and the far west of Nevada .
features
The Lodgepole chipmunk reaches an average head-trunk length of about 12.2 to 12.7 centimeters, the tail length is about 8.6 to 9.5 centimeters and the weight is about 56 to 64 grams. The back color is cinnamon to yellow-brown and, as with other species of the genus, there are several dark back stripes on the back, which are separated by lighter stripes and separated from the sides of the body. The light and dark stripes run from the back to the face and end at the nose, a dark stripe runs over the eye. The sides of the body are cinnamon brown to yellowish orange or light brown. The skull is broad with a short and narrow snout. The tail is dark, especially in a demarcated area of the rear underside of the tail.
distribution
The lodgepole chipmunk is only found in the east of the American state of California and the far west of Nevada . The distribution area extends in the Sierra Nevada from Mount Lassen to the San Bernardino Mountains and neighboring mountain ranges.
Way of life
Lodgepole chipmunks live mainly in the higher mountain regions up to the tree line at altitudes of 1500 to 3300 meters. It usually occurs in mixed forest areas, although the composition of the forests can vary greatly from region to region. The tree species that occur in these forests include the coastal pine (English: Lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta ), the Jeffrey pine ( Pinus jeffreyi ), the sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana ), the magnificent fir ( Abies magnifica ), the Colorado fir ( Abies concolor ), the incense cedar ( Calocedrus decurrens ), Chrysolepis sempervirens and various oaks such as the California black oak ( Quercus kelloggii ). Occasional forest fires change the habitat of the animals, but the burnt regions are quickly repopulated by the species.
The Lodgepole chipmunk is diurnal and can be observed especially in the middle of the day. It lives both on the ground and often climbing in the trees, although it lives more often in the trees than other chipmunks. The animals feed mainly herbivorous of seeds and fruits of coniferous trees, acorns and other plant parts. In addition, there are insects, especially caterpillars, small vertebrates and bird eggs as complementary food. Fungi that live underground are also eaten, but unlike related species, they do not constitute a large part of the diet. The animals collect the food and set up stores, thereby playing an essential role in the spread of the seeds and the spread of the trees, above all in wind-spreading species such as the Jeffrey pine. The animals find storage space primarily on the basis of their smell, with moist soil promoting their recovery. The animals overwinter, but can leave the nest on warm winter days and can be active throughout the year in milder years. The beginning of wintering depends on the weather and often only begins after heavy snowfall. In March to April the animals leave their nest again, usually later at high altitudes than in lower regions. Communication takes place primarily to delimit the territories and as alarm calls. The population density is usually one animal per hectare or less in spring, and it can grow strongly, especially during the rearing of young. The territory covers an average of 1.28 to 2.6 hectares, regardless of the sex of the animals.
The mating season for this species is in spring after leaving the nest in March to April and there is only one litter per year. The gestation period is about 30 days and the young are born in early summer. The litter consists of three to six young animals on average.
In the largest part of the distribution area the species occurs sympatric with other chipmunks. The yellow spruce chipmunk ( Tamias amoenus ) and the small chipmunk usually occur in lower areas and in the valleys, the mountain chipmunk ( Tamias alpinus ) in the areas above the tree line. The species compete with each other and defend their habitats against the other species, whereby the Lodgepole chipmunk can hold its own especially in the middle to high altitudes. It also occurs sympatric with the long-eared chipmunk ( Tamias quadrimaculatus ) and the Allen chipmunk ( Tamias senex ). So far only coyotes as well as round-tailed cattle ( Accipiter cooperii ) and red-tailed buzzards ( Buteo jamaicensis ) have been documented as predators . Eight types of fleas , two types of animal lice, and five types of ticks are known as parasites . In addition, the Lodgepole chipmunk can be a carrier of the plague virus Yersinia pestis .
Systematics
The lodgepole chipmunk is classified as a separate species within the genus of chipmunks ( Tamias ), which consists of 25 species. The first scientific description comes from the American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam from 1890, who described it using individuals from Whitewater Creek in the San Bernardino Mountains , San Bernardino County , California. Within the chipmunk group, the Lodgepole 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, four subspecies are distinguished together with the nominate form :
- Tamias speciosus speciosus : nominate form; occurs in the southern third of the distribution area and there partially isolated in individual mountain ranges of the Sierra Nevada.
- Tamias speciosus callipelus : only lives in isolation on Mount Pinos in California. The dark band on the underside of the tail is shorter than in other subspecies.
- Tamias speciosus frater : lives in the northern half of the range in the northern Sierra Nevada. The skull is wider than in the nominate form, the sides are more reddish and the side stripes are narrower than in the other subspecies. The first description comes from Joel Asaph Allen , who described it in 1890 as a separate species Tamias frater and differentiated it from the Colorado chipmunk ( Tamias quadrivittatus ).
- Tamias speciosus sequoiensis : lives in the middle of the range in the southern Sierra Nevada. The underside of the tail is lighter than the other subspecies.
Status, threat and protection
The Lodgepole 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 of more than 20,000 km 2 and the regular occurrence; there are no known risks to the existence of the plant.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i 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. 341-342 .
- ^ A b Neotamias speciosus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
- ↑ a b Tamias (Neotamias) speciosus 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 .
- ^ Troy L. Best , Robin G. Clawson, Joseph A. Clawson: Tamias speciosus. ( Memento of the original from March 16, 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 478, 1994.
- ↑ 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
- ↑ Joel Asaph Allen : A review of some of the North American ground squirrels of the genus Tamias. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 3, 1890; Pp. 45-116. ( Full text , description of the species on pp. 83–84)
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. 341-342 .
- Troy L. Best , Robin G. Clawson, Joseph A. Clawson: Tamias speciosus. Mammalian Species 478, 1994.
Web links
- Neotamias speciosus inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved June 28, 2016.