Siskiyou chipmunk

The Siskiyou chipmunk (Neotamias siskiyou) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to northern California and central Oregon in the United States.[1]

Siskiyou chipmunk
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Neotamias
Species:
N. siskiyou
Binomial name
Neotamias siskiyou
(A. H. Howell, 1922)
Synonyms

Tamias siskiyou

Anatomy and Morphology

The Siskiyou chipmunk is closest in appearance to Allen's chipmunk (Neotamias senex) and the yellow-cheeked chipmunk (Neotamias ochrogenys).[2] Its coat is brown-gray, with a pattern of five dark brown and four gray stripes along its back; the central stripe tends to be blackish and darker in color compared to the other stripes.[2][3] Additionally, Neotamias siskiyou have three brown and two gray stripes on each cheek.[3] The specific appearance of the Siskiyou chipmunk varies due to the large geographic range the species inhabits, with larger and darker members found on the coasts compared to those found further inland.[4]

Distribution and Habitat

Neotamias siskiyou is found in northern California, in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, as well as in Oregon, in the Siskiyou mountains.[5] The extent of the Siskiyou chipmunk is delineated in the south by the Klamath River, and in the north by the Rogue River.[4]

Behavior

Siskiyou chipmunks are most active early at night, but they also have behavioral peaks early in the morning and in the middle of the day.[3] They have a distinct call characterized by a single syllable, and usually communicate with an evenly-spaced series of these calls.[6]

Taxonomy

Neotamias siskiyou belongs to the Townsend group of chipmunks, which are a group of closely related chipmunk species inhabiting the western United States and Canada.[4] Other chipmunk species in this group include: Neotamias senex (Allen's chipmunk), Neotamias ochrogenys (Yellow-cheeked chipmunk), and Neotamias townsendii (Townsend's chipmunk).[2][7] This group of chipmunks was originally thought to be members of a single species. However, Sutton and Nadler cited lack of inter-breeding and the distinctive physical appearance of each type as indications that they were distinct species.[8]

References
  1. Linzey, A. V. & Hammerson, G. (2008). "Neotamias siskiyou". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2009.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Howell, Arthur H. (August 1922). "Diagnoses of Seven New Chipmunks of the Genus Eutamias, with a List of the American Species". Journal of Mammalogy. 3 (3): 178. doi:10.2307/1373666. ISSN 0022-2372.
  3. "Siskiyou chipmunk | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife". myodfw.com. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  4. Sutton, D. A.; Patterson, B. D. (2000-05-18). "Geographic Variation of the Western Chipmunks Tamias Senex and T. Siskiyou, with Two New Subspecies from California". Journal of Mammalogy. 81 (2): 299–316. doi:10.1093/jmammal/81.2.299. ISSN 1545-1542.
  5. Sutton, Dallas A. (1987). "Analysis of Pacific Coast Townsend Chipmunks (Rodentia: Sciuridae)". The Southwestern Naturalist. 32 (3): 371–376. doi:10.2307/3671455. ISSN 0038-4909.
  6. Gannon, W. L.; Lawlor, T. E. (1989-11-27). "Variation of the Chip Vocalization of Three Species of Townsend Chipmunks (Genus Eutamias)". Journal of Mammalogy. 70 (4): 740–753. doi:10.2307/1381708. ISSN 1545-1542.
  7. Levenson, Howard; Hoffmann, Robert S.; Nadler, Charles F.; Deutsch, Ljerka; Freeman, Scott D. (1985). "Systematics of the Holarctic Chipmunks (Tamias)". Journal of Mammalogy. 66 (2): 219–242. doi:10.2307/1381236. ISSN 0022-2372.
  8. Sutton, Dallas A.; Nadler, Charles F. (1974-07-26). "Systematic Revision of Three Townsend Chipmunks (Eutamias townsendii)". The Southwestern Naturalist. 19 (2): 199. doi:10.2307/3670280.


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