188 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE TOSEMITE 



The Long-eared Chipmunk is the most restricted in range of any of the 

 chipmunks occurring on the west slope of the Yosemite region. It is found 

 only in a narrow belt of territory between altitudes of 5000 and 7300 feet, 

 hence chiefly in the upper half of the Transition Zone. Its range is almost 

 complementary to that of the Mariposa and Allen chipmunks, the other two 

 large sized species in the region, for the former does not anywhere go 

 above 5000 feet, and the latter is seldom found far below the 7000-foot 

 contour. 



As suggested by the vernacular name, this chipmunk is noted for its 

 rather tall and slender-appearing ears, the general effect of which is 

 enhanced by the large conspicuous patch of pure white on the head just 

 behind each ear. (See pis. dd, 33a.) The general pattern of markings on 

 this species is the same as in other species but the effect is somewhat 

 different, in that the Long-eared is more brownish and sharply streaked 

 than the Allen and Mariposa chipmunks, and larger and darker toned with 

 less conspicuous white stripes than the Tahoe Chipmunk. 



This chipmunk lives about brush thickets and fallen logs and is much 

 like the Allen Chipmunk in general behavior. Indeed in localities where 

 the two occur together we could detect no appreciable difference in their 

 habits. Both keep close to the ground, running over the surface and 

 along logs, and, when frightened, both seek safety in dense brush or in 

 hollows in logs rather than in trees. This feature alone is enough in most 

 eases to distinguish these two larger animals from the Tahoe Chipmunk. 

 But on a few occasions individual Long-eared Chipmunks have been noted 

 well up in trees, once on a dead stub at a height of fifty feet or more above 

 the ground. 



The call note of the Long-eared Chipmunk is an incisive whsst or psst, 

 thought to be sharper than that of the Tahoe Chipmunk, and usually given 

 singly. There is also the hollow hock uttered at measured intervals. 



At Hazel Green on May 15, 1919, one of us sat quietly for a time in a 

 thicket of incense cedars and Douglas spruces and watched one of these 

 chipmunks which had been running along and near a stake-and-rider fence 

 which surrounded the adjacent meadow. The animal circled about the 

 observer as close as three feet and not more than ten feet away, so that 

 every movement could be clearly seen. The bright patches of white behind 

 the bases of the ears made recognition easy and positive. At first the 

 chipmunk gave the hollow hock a few times, accompanying each of the 

 separated utterances by a forward jerk of the tail. Then the shrill explosive 

 psst was uttered once or twice with less action of the tail. The movements 

 were all quick and the chipmunk would freeze after each change of position, 

 whereupon its variegated pattern fairly melted into the mixed background. 

 This individual stayed on the ground or on logs and never ascended a 



