Siskiyou chipmunk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Siskiyou chipmunk |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Neotamias
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| Species: |
siskiyou
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| Synonyms | |
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Tamias siskiyou A. H. Howell, 1922 |
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The Siskiyou chipmunk (Neotamias siskiyou) is a small, furry rodent that belongs to the Sciuridae family. This family includes squirrels, marmots, and prairie dogs. The Siskiyou chipmunk is special because it is found only in a specific area of northern California and central Oregon in the United States. This means it is endemic to that region.
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What Does a Siskiyou Chipmunk Look Like?
The Siskiyou chipmunk looks a lot like Allen's chipmunk and the yellow-cheeked chipmunk. Its fur is a mix of brown and gray. It has a cool pattern of stripes on its back: five dark brown stripes and four gray ones. The stripe right in the middle is usually darker, almost black.
On each of its cheeks, the Siskiyou chipmunk has three brown stripes and two gray stripes. How a Siskiyou chipmunk looks can change a bit depending on where it lives. Chipmunks found closer to the coast are often bigger and have darker fur than those living further inland.
Where Do Siskiyou Chipmunks Live?
You can find the Neotamias siskiyou in northern California, specifically in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. They also live in Oregon, in the Siskiyou Mountains. Their home range stretches from the Klamath River in the south to the Rogue River in the north.
How Do Siskiyou Chipmunks Act?
Siskiyou chipmunks are most active when the sun is setting, early in the evening. But they also like to be busy in the early morning and in the middle of the day. They have a special way of talking to each other. Their call is just one sound, repeated over and over in an even rhythm. It's how they communicate!
Siskiyou Chipmunk Family Tree
The Neotamias siskiyou is part of a group of chipmunks called the Townsend group. These are chipmunk species that are closely related and live in the western parts of the United States and Canada. Other chipmunks in this group include Allen's chipmunk, the Yellow-cheeked chipmunk, and Townsend's chipmunk.
Scientists used to think all these chipmunks were just one species. But later, researchers named Sutton and Nadler found out they were different. They noticed that these chipmunks didn't breed with each other, and each type had its own unique look. This showed that they were actually separate species.
