Alpine chipmunk

Alpine chipmunk
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Neotamias
Species:	N. alpinus
Binomial name
Neotamias alpinus Merriam, 1893
Synonyms
Tamias alpinus Merriam, 1893

The alpine chipmunk (Neotamias alpinus) is a species of chipmunk native to the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada of California^[2]. They have been observed at altitudes from around 2,300 meters (7,500 ft)^[3] to 3,900 meters (12,800 ft)^[4], though they rarely occur below 2,500 meters (8,200 ft)^[5].

Description

They have a brown forehead with three white stripes on their cheeks and four on their backs. They weigh around 80 grams.

Behavior

The alpine chipmunk feed on the seeds of sedges, grasses, and pines. They generally eat their food on the ground. They do not generally require a source of water other than food, but will use it given the opportunity.

They nest in crevices between rocks, taking advantage of the micro-climatic conditions (i.e. higher temperatures) that exist there. Their young are born in June and July, in litters of 3-6.

They are considered diurnal, though they exhibit some nocturnal activity during the summer. They hibernate from November through April, frequently awakening to eat.

References

1. ^ Linzey, A. V. & Hammerson, G. (2008). Tamias alpinus. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 8 January 2009.
2. ^ Hall, E.R. (1981). The Mammals of North America (2nd edition ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons. 
3. ^ Johnson, D.H. (1943). Systematic review of the chipmunks (genus Eutamias) of California. University of California Publications in Zoology. 
4. ^ Swarth, H.S. (1919). Some Sierran chipmunks. Sierra Club Bulletin. 
5. ^ Grinnell, J.; T.I. Storer (1924). Animal life in the Yosemite: an account of the mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians of a cross-section of the Sierra Nevada. University of California Press.