Tamias quadrimaculatus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	SCIURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Tamias quadrimaculatus

Species Authority:

Gray, 1867

Common Name/s:

English

–

Long-eared Chipmunk

Synonym/s:

Neotamias quadrimaculatus Gray, 1867

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.)
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Chanson, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Least Concern because its extent of occurrence is larger than 20,000 km², it is common, there are no major threats, and its populations are not declining.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs in the Sierra Nevada of east-central California (Plumas to Mariposa and Madera counties); and central and adjacent west-central Nevada in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe in the United States (Hoffmann et al., in Wilson and Reeder 1993; Clawson et al. 1994). It occurs at elevations of 960-2,250 m asl.
Countries:	Native: United States (California, Nevada)
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is considered common in suitable habitat. Reported densities in the Sierra Nevadas ranged from 0.2/ha in April to 1.0/ha in June.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It inhabits chaparral, brushfields, open areas in coniferous forests (e.g., ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, mixed coniferous); occurs among brush, rocks, and logs. Basically terrestrial but sometimes climbs trees. Nests have been found under buildings and in tree hollows. Mating begins in late April and the first half of May. Gestation lasts about 31 days and young are born from May to July but mainly in the first half of June. Litter size is 2-6. Young are almost fully grown by early September (see Clawson et al. 1994). Primary foods are various seeds and fruits (especially those of conifers) and hypogeous fungi; also eats some arthropods. Gleans seeds from tree squirrel "leftovers." This species stores food. Known to be active above ground from late March to mid-November.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

It inhabits chaparral, brushfields, open areas in coniferous forests (e.g., ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, mixed coniferous); occurs among brush, rocks, and logs. Basically terrestrial but sometimes climbs trees. Nests have been found under buildings and in tree hollows.

Mating begins in late April and the first half of May. Gestation lasts about 31 days and young are born from May to July but mainly in the first half of June. Litter size is 2-6. Young are almost fully grown by early September (see Clawson et al. 1994).

Primary foods are various seeds and fruits (especially those of conifers) and hypogeous fungi; also eats some arthropods. Gleans seeds from tree squirrel "leftovers." This species stores food. Known to be active above ground from late March to mid-November.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species has a restricted range but there are no major threats at present.

Major Threat(s):

This species has a restricted range but there are no major threats at present.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is not known to occur in any protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

This species is not known to occur in any protected areas.

Bibliography [top]

	Clawson, R. G., Clawson, J. A. and Best, T. L. 1994. Tamias quadrimaculatus. Mammalian Species 469: 1-6. Hoffmann, R. S., Anderson, C. G., Thorington Jr., R. W. and Heaney, L. R. 1993. Family Sciuridae. In: D. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, pp. 419-465. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA. Wilson, D. E. and Ruff, S. 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Clawson, R. G., Clawson, J. A. and Best, T. L. 1994. Tamias quadrimaculatus. Mammalian Species 469: 1-6.

Hoffmann, R. S., Anderson, C. G., Thorington Jr., R. W. and Heaney, L. R. 1993. Family Sciuridae. In: D. Wilson and D. M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, pp. 419-465. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Wilson, D. E. and Ruff, S. 1999. The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC, USA.

Citation:	Linzey, A.V. & NatureServe (Hammerson, G.) 2008. Tamias quadrimaculatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 May 2013.
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