Merriam chipmunk
| Merriam chipmunk | ||||||||||||
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Merriam chipmunk ( Tamias merriami ) |
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| Tamias merriami | ||||||||||||
| JA Allen , 1889 |
The Merriam-Chipmunk ( Tamias merriami , Syn .: Neotamias merriami ) is a type of squirrel from the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ). It occurs in the south of the American state of California to the far north of Mexico .
features
The Merriam chipmunk reaches an average head-torso length of about 13.0 to 13.5 centimeters, the tail length is about 10.5 to 11.5 centimeters and the weight is about 68 to 72 grams. The tail is relatively long with a length of up to 97% of the head-trunk length compared to other species. As with other species of the genus, the fur is brown to cinnamon brown and there are several dark back stripes on the back, which are separated by lighter stripes and delimited from the sides of the body. There are four gray and five brown stripes, the outermost stripes are significantly shorter and the stripes are all about the same width. The animals have long, narrow ears and a white belly.
distribution
The Merriam chipmunk is found in the south of the American state of California to the far north of Mexico . The distribution area in the California Sierra Nevada ranges from the region south of San Francisco and from Columbia to the south to the far north of Baja California .
Way of life
Merriam chipmunks live in different habitats in their range from sea level to altitudes of 2940 meters. They occur mainly in the bushy areas of the chaparral , often associated with pine and oak stands. Important factors of the habitat are fallen leaves and stones on the ground.
The species is diurnal with maximum activity in the morning and afternoon. It lives primarily on the ground, but can also climb trees and bushes. The animals feed mainly herbivorous of seeds, fruits and nuts; rarely, insects and small vertebrates. The main component is acorns and pine seeds, in some years acorns are eaten all year round. Merriam chipmunks are usually active year-round and do not hibernate, only resting at high altitudes. The animals lay their nests in crevices on the ground or in tree hollows, with the latter predominating. The hiding places and nesting holes often come from other animals, especially woodpeckers , mountain pocket rats ( Thomomys ) or other ground squirrels.
Systematics
The Merriam-Chipmunk is classified as a separate species within the genus of the chipmunk ( Tamias ), which consists of 25 species. The first scientific description comes from the American naturalist Joel Asaph Allen from 1889, who described the species as a subspecies of Burunduk under the name Tamias asiaticus merriami . He used individuals from the San Bernardino Mountains north of San Bernardino in San Bernardino County , California, from an altitude of 1,372 meters for the first description and named the subspecies after Clinton Hart Merriam . In the following year, 1890, Allen already regarded it as a separate species. Within the chipmunk group, the Merriam chipmunk is assigned to the subgenus Neotamias , together with most other species , which is also discussed as an independent genus, with the Merriam chipmunk being taken as a type species .
Within the species, three subspecies are distinguished with the nominate form :
- Tamias merriami merriami : nominate form; The distribution area extends in California from the southern Sierra Nevada and along the coast to northern Mexico. To the north joins the distribution area of Tamias merriami pricei . The coat color is lighter than that of Tamias merriami pricei and darker than that of Tamias merriami kernensis .
- Tamias merriami kernensis : The subspecies is restricted to a narrow strip in the dry pine forests of the Kern Basin and the southernmost part of the Sierra Nevada. The coat color is pale, the stripes are only indistinctly, especially in the winter coat.
- Tamias merriami pricei : The subspecies was described in 1895 as an independent species Tamias pricei by Joel Asaph Allen. It occurs in the coastal area of California up to about 125 kilometers south of San Francisco. It is the largest and darkest subspecies, the tail is particularly long.
Status, threat and protection
The Merriam chipmunk is classified as Least Concern (LC) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the large distribution area and the assumed large population. There are no known risks to the company's existence.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 324-325. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c Neotamias merriami in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: AV Linzey, R. Timm, ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, 2008. Accessed June 13, 2016.
- ↑ a b Tamias (Neotamias) merriami 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 .
- ↑ a b Joel Asaph Allen , Audley Cecil Buller : Notes on a collection of mammals from southern Mexico, with descriptions of new species of the genera Sciurus, Tamias and Sigmodon. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History v. 2, article 16, 1889; Pp. 176-178. ( Digitized version )
- ^ A b c Troy L. Best , Nancy J. Granai: Tamias merriami. ( 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 476, 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
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 324-325. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Troy L. Best , Nancy J. Granai: Tamias merriami. Mammalian Species 476, 1994.
Web links
- Neotamias merriami inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: AV Linzey, R. Timm, ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, 2008. Accessed June 13, 2016.