The Siskiyou chipmunk (''Neotamias siskiyou'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...

in the family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to northern

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

and central

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

Anatomy and morphology

The Siskiyou chipmunk is closest in appearance to Allen's chipmunk (''Neotamias senex'') and the yellow-cheeked chipmunk (''Neotamias ochrogenys'')''.'' 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. Additionally, ''Neotamias siskiyou'' have three brown and two gray stripes on each cheek. 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.

Distribution and habitat

''Neotamias siskiyou'' is found in northern

, in Humboldt and Del Norte counties, as well as in

, in the

Siskiyou mountains The Siskiyou Mountains are a coastal subrange of the Klamath Mountains, and located in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon in the United States. They extend in an arc for approximately from east of Crescent City, California, northea ...

. The extent of the Siskiyou chipmunk is delineated in the south by the

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') flows through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second large ...

, and in the north by the Rogue River.

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. They have a distinct call characterized by a single syllable, and usually communicate with an evenly-spaced series of these calls.

Taxonomy

''Neotamias siskiyou'' belongs to the Townsend group of

chipmunks Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks may be classified either as ...

, which are a group of closely related chipmunk species inhabiting the western

and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Other chipmunk species in this group include: ''Neotamias senex'' (Allen's chipmunk), ''Neotamias ochrogenys'' (Yellow-cheeked chipmunk), and ''Neotamias townsendii'' (Townsend's chipmunk). 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.

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q21731225, from2=Q1763338 Mammals of the United States Neotamias Mammals described in 1922 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot