Tamias quadrimaculatus, Gray, 1867
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840633 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF9F-ED62-FF69-F4FBF7A9F11F |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Tamias quadrimaculatus |
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Long-eared Chipmunk
Tamias quadrimaculatus View in CoL
French: Tamia a grandes oreilles / German: LangohrBackenhérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla listada de orejas largas
Taxonomy. Tamias quadrimaculatus Gray, 1867 View in CoL ,
“California, Michigan Bluff (Gru-
ber),”
Placer County, California, USA.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Sierra Nevada, in EC California and WC Nevada (USA).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 135-6-138-2 mm, tail 94-5-102:6 mm; weight 78-1-87-4 g. The Long-eared Chipmunk has long and narrow ears, with white postauricular patches, relatively dark and reddish pelage, and a white-edged tail. It is part of the fownsendii complex due to its long and narrow rostrum, larger body size, and zygomatic width. The mid-dorsal dark stripe is fuscous black and the other dark stripes are fuscous mixed with Mikado brown. The inner pale stripes are grayish white and the outer pale stripes are creamy white. Chromosome number of the Long-eared Chipmunk is 2n = 38. Karyotypeis type B for Tamias and consists of five pairs of metacentric autosomes, six pairs of submetacentric autosomes, seven pairs of acrocentric autosomes, a submetacentric X chromosome, and an acrocentric Y chromosome.
Habitat. Mixed conifer forests, stands of pines and firs (Pinaceae) including ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), and chaparral and brush fields. Structures that provide cover such as woody debris, stumps, and snags are important habitat features to the Long-eared Chipmunk.
Food and Feeding. Diet consists mostly of hypogeous fungi, but also includes seeds, fruits, leaves, flowers, and arthropods. It may be a seed disperser of conifer and understory species.
Breeding. Breeding season begins in late April and lasts through early May, with most mating occurring during the first two weeks of May. Females produce onelitter of 2-6 young, with an average of 4-4, after a gestation of 31 days. Young reach sexual maturity at 10-11 months.
Activity patterns. The Long-eared Chipmunk is terrestrial and diurnal, being active from late March to late November and hibernating during the winter. Compared with other chipmunk species,it is more active and less territorial. It is aggressive during the reproductive period. It is a very vocal species, and the vocalizations are described as “chucks” and “chips,” sometimes associated with tail flicking.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Home range has been estimated as 0-88 ha for males and 0-48 ha for females. In Sierra Nevada, California, densities were recorded to be as low as 7-6 ind/ha in white fir forests to highs of 36 ind/ha in mixedfir forests and 48-2 ind/ha in red-fir forests.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Current population is stable and no major threats to the Long-eared Chipmunk are known. In suitable habitat it can be common; however, distribution is highly restricted, meaning that changes to landscapes within this area could have a major impact on the population.
Bibliography. Clawson et al. (1994b), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008af), Piaggio & Spicer (2000), Sutton (1995), Thorington et al. (2012), Wilson et al. (2008).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
