44 MAMMALS OF UTAH 



and black annulation of the hairs, with an indistinct white 

 border ; below, clear white, with a subterminal black border 

 more or less obscured by the underlying hairs, which are 

 white throughout without annulations. On the upper side 

 of the tail all the hairs are annulated. On the proximal half 

 the lateral hairs are longer than elsewhere, the very base of 

 each hair is white, and there are two annulations of black 

 as in harrisi; on the distal half the base of each hair is 

 black, with but one free black annulation. (Merriam.) 



Distribution — Lower California, Mexico into California, 

 Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. I have taken them at 

 Beaver, Cedar City and St. George, Utah. 



Habits — Merriam calls this spermophile the antelope 

 squirrel, from the under side of the tail which is white, and 

 becomes the most conspicuous feature of the animal as it 

 runs swiftly away with tail cocked up over its back, after 

 the manner of the antelope. Hornaday says that this ani- 

 mal is, for a spermophile, • unusually fat or thick in the 

 body. 



Commonly known as the antelope, or white-tailed chip- 

 munk, this handsome little mammal is in reality a species of 

 spermophile, or ground squirrel. This misnomer is due, no 

 doubt, to its small size, striped back, and sprightly ways. 

 From the true chipmunks it may be distinguished by its 

 heavier proportions) and from both chipmunks and all other 

 spermophiles by its odd, upturned tail, carried closely re- 

 curved along the top of the rump. This character renders 

 the species unmistakeable at a glance and gives it an amus- 

 ing air of jaunty self-confidence. It appears equally at 

 home skipping nimbly over rocky slopes or among slide 

 rock in arid canyons and scurrying through the brushy 

 growth on broad sandy plains devoid of rocks. In the 

 higher and colder parts of their range, where snow lies long 

 on the ground, these spermophiles hibernate for several 

 months, but in the warmer areas they are active throughout 

 the year. Wherever they occur they gather food and carry 

 it to their underground store-rooms in their cheek pouches. 

 Like most ground squirrels, they eat many kinds of seeds 

 and fruits as well as flesh and insects. About cultivated 

 lands they are sometimes abundant and destructive, digging 

 up grain as soon as it is planted. They have one or more 

 litters a season with from four to twelve young in each. 

 (Nelson.) 



