MAMMALS OF UTAH 41 



Distribution — The type locality of this form is Kel- 

 ton, Utah. Its range is the western border of Great Salt 

 Lake westward, and from southern Utah and southern Ne- 

 vada to the Snake plains of eastern Washington. H. S. 

 Rutledge and S. H. Locke say these chipmunks are very 

 common in San Juan county. 



Habits — Its home is on treeless plains, in a climate 

 characterized by brilliant sunshine and clear, dry air. These 

 little animals are exceedingly alert and agile, darting 

 through dense growth of bushes with all the easy grace of 

 weasels. When running they hold the tail stiffly erect. 

 When alarmed they utter a shrill chippering cry, especially 

 when darting into shelter. They also have a chucking call, 

 uttered at intervals, which may be used merely as a note 

 of sociability or to put their neighbors on the alert. It is 

 most numerous on flats and foothill slopes among heavy 

 growths of sage and rabbit brush. When its territory is 

 invaded by settlers it does not hesitate to gather about the 

 borders of fields and even to raid barns in search of grain 

 and other rocks and similar shelter. In addition to seeds 

 and green vegetation, they eat any fruits growing in their 

 haunts, and also many insects, especially grasshoppers arid 

 larvae. They also take a web worm and its chrysalids with 

 which the sage bushes are sometimes swarmed. The vege- 

 table food eaten includes the seeds of Ribcs, Kuntzia, Sar- 

 cobatns, pigweed, serviceberry, grasses, oats, wheat, and the 

 seeds of small cactuses. Throughout most of their range 

 they begin hibernation in September or October, and reap- 

 pear early in Spring. (Nelson.) 



BEAVER VALLEY CHIPMUNK 



TAMIAS LECTUS (Allen) 



Eutamias lectus Allen, Bull. Brookl. Inst. Arts & Scien., 1, 

 No. 5, 1905, p. 117. 



D^cription — Post-breeding pelage— Similar in size to 

 T. m. pictus, but colors stronger; flanks, shoulders and 

 sides of neck, deep rufous ; face stripes broader and darker, 

 and light stripes narrower ; post-auricular patch gray ; cen- 

 tral area of tail beneath bright rufous. Breeding pelage — 

 Closely resembling the coloration of T. cinereicollis, but dis- 

 tinguished from that species by the small size of the present 

 form. 



