| Long-eared chipmunk | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Neotamias |
| Species: | N. quadrimaculatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Neotamias quadrimaculatus (J. E. Gray, 1867) | |
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| Long-eared chipmunk range | |
| Synonyms | |
Tamias quadrimaculatusJ. E. Gray, 1867 | |
Thelong-eared chipmunk (Neotamias quadrimaculatus), also called theSacramento chipmunk or thefour-banded chipmunk, is a species ofrodent in the squirrel family,Sciuridae. It isendemic to the central and northernSierra Nevada ofCalifornia andNevada in theUnited States.[1] Long-eared chipmunks have the longest ears of all species of chipmunks.[2]
Male long-eared chipmunks range from 23.0–23.9 centimeters (9.1–9.4 in) in total length, while females range from 23.0–24.5 centimeters (9.1–9.6 in). The tail makes up a large part of the total length, ranging from 8.5–10.0 centimeters (3.3–3.9 in) in males and 9.0–10.1 centimeters (3.5–4.0 in) in females. Males weigh from 74.1–89.0 grams (2.61–3.14 oz), and females weigh from 81.0–105.0 grams (2.86–3.70 oz). The chipmunks are bright red-brown in color, displaying five dark stripes and four pale stripes on their backs. They also have large, noticeable white patches at the base of both ears.[2]
Long-eared chipmunks arediurnal. They forage on the ground forfungi, seeds, fruits, flowers, and insects, though in the fall they will climbconifer trees to eat seeds from the cones. The chipmunks hibernate in a den on the ground from November until March, and live in burrows or tree hollows the rest of the year. They mate in late April and May, and the young are born after one month ofgestation.[2]
