190 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



the Chipmunks do, but await the warming rays 

 of the sun. 



IMerritt Cary states that he observed a female 

 and two yotmg, about a third grown, romping 

 among some loose rocks on the banks of Clear 

 Creek, Colorado. " When the old Squirrel first 

 saw me she ran to the little ones and pushed 



them back into a hole among the rocks with her 

 fore feet. As soon as she had left them the 

 youngsters came out and began playing again. 

 The mother returned and again pushed them into 

 their safe retreat, appearing much excited at my 

 presence. This was continued for a number of 

 times, until I tired of watching the performance." 



EASTERN CHIPMUNK 

 Tamias striatus (Linnaeus) 



Description. — The Eastern Chipmunk, while for- 

 merly classified in the same genus with its host of rela- 

 tives living in western North America, is now generally 

 placed in a genus by itself because of the followmg 

 characters. Its back is not so finely striped as the 

 smaller western Chipmunks, nor does it have as many 

 stripes ; its size is noticeably larger and its body heavier. 

 It closely resembles a group of western Ground Squir- 

 rels, the Say's Ground Squirrel group, but can be 

 quite easily distinguished from the latter through lack 

 of any chestnut coloring on the head or neck. 

 The Eastern Chipmunk is of small size; head rather 

 rounded ; ears short but prominent, clothed with short 

 hairs ; body trim but not slender ; tail broad and flat, 

 moderately bushy, about half the length of head and 

 body ; general coloration rusty brown above, with five 

 black and two light-colored stripes on back, and with 

 deep chestnut on rump ; underparts whitish. .\n animal 

 of rather active habits. 



Dental Formula.— Incisors, '~' ; Canines, ^rrP- Pre- 



I — I o — o 



molars, '^— ; Molars, ^^^:=20. 

 i-i 3—3 



Pelage. — Adults : Sexes identical. Rather brighter 



in summer than in winter. Color above reddish-brown 

 or rusty, with some grayish-brown, shading into tawny- 

 brown on cheeks and sides, and with deep chestnut 

 rufous on flanks and rump ; five black stripes on back 

 from shoulders nearly to tail, central one bordered by 

 two brownish stripes, and a stripe of tavvny-white on 

 each side separating the two outer black stripes. Under- 

 parts whitish ; tail above, blackish to brownish, fringed 



with yellow ; below, yellowish-brown bordered with 

 black and fringed with gray. Hair everywhere rather 

 short and moderately soft. Young: Like adults, but 

 colors weaker. 



Measurements. — Sexes of equal size. Total length. 

 g~ inches: tail vertebrae, 3./ inches; hind foot. 1.2 

 inches. 



Range. — From northern Illinois. Iowa, northward 

 through Wisconsin. Minnesota and Michigan to about 

 latitude 49°. 



Food. — Largely seeds, grains, nuts, acorns but also 

 a certain amount of animal food such as young mice, 

 birds' eggs and insects. 



Related Subspecies 



Eastern Chipmunk. — Tamias striatus striatus (Lin- 

 naeus). Tlie typical animal of the above description. 

 Southern Xew York through Atlantic States to Georgia. 



Gray Eastern Chipmunk. — Tamias striatus grisrns 

 Mearns. Large, black markings pronounced, other 

 colors subdued. Upper Mississippi Valley west of 

 Great Lakes. 



Lyster's Eastern Chipmunk. — Tamias striatus lystrri 

 (Richardson). Rump and thighs bright yellowish-red. 

 From north latitude 50° in eastern North America, 

 south to northern New York, west to Michigan and 

 Ontario. 



Bangs's Eastern Chipmunk. — Tamias striatus vcn- 

 ustus Bangs. Colors brighter and back stripes 

 shorter. Oklahoma. 



The Chipmunk may be popularly described as 

 a small edition of the Tree Squirrel. It has much 

 the same shaped head and body, the same bright 

 eye, and the same perky frisk of the tail. In size, 

 however, it is only about one-third the size of its 

 neighbor of the upper stories. It is only about 

 eight or nine inches long, including the long 

 bushy tail ; or only five or six inches for the 

 head and body proper. 



Chijimunks have also been called Rock Squir- 

 rels because of their fondness for making a 

 home among rocky crevices. Failing this con- 

 venient retreat, they inhabit fence corners or 



decayed tree trunks that can be entered from 

 the ground. 



Since they are too small to attract the atten- 

 tion of hunters, they have long since ceased to 

 exhibit any lively fear of man. On the contrary, 

 they become easily tamed and may be attracted 

 by any patient passer-by in a woodland, or seen 

 roaming at large in our parks. 



Although the Chipmunk ranges over the 

 greater part of North America, there are great 

 tracts of country where it is absent or nearly so. 

 These are the continuous stretches of gloomv 

 forests. .\ bright, alert, saucy creature itself. 



