TOWNSEND'S CHIPMUNK, TAMIAS TOWNSENDL 



ALLAN BROOKS. 



The habitat of this species of chipmunk 

 is the narrow strip of land lying between 

 the Pacific coast and the Cascade range, 

 where it is found from sea level to about 

 5,000 feet on the Western slope of these 

 mountains. The center of its abundance is 

 the Puget Sound district, and the lower 

 Fraser river valley in British Columbia. 

 It is not found much farther North than 

 the last named locality. It is larger than 

 the common chipmunk of the Eastern 

 States and Canada, and considerably larger 

 than the Rocky Mountain or 4 striped 



of underbrush which flourishes on the Pa- 

 cific coast. Often in such localities the 

 only evidence of its presence is its ringing 

 chirp, "Quisk!" twice or thrice repeated. 

 It also has another note, a soff, musical 

 "chuck," which is only uttered when the 

 little animal feels quite secure. 



This chipmunk is seldom found in heavy 

 unbroken forest. When climbing the 

 Western slope of the Cascades, through 

 the heavy fir timber, one leaves townsendi 

 with the last clearing of the backwoods- 

 man, and re-encounters him with the first 



TOWNSEND'S CHIPMUNK, TAMIAS TOWNSENDL 



chipmunk. In coloration it is somber, 

 lacking the bright rusty red tints of its 

 smaller congeners. Still, it is a handsome 

 little mammal and can be distinguished 

 from its allies by the conspicuous white 

 edging of the posterior border of the ear, 

 and the white tipping to the hairs of the 

 tail. The summer and winter pelages are 

 similar. 



Townsend's chipmunk is of a much more 

 retiring nature than its smaller allies, and 

 its skulking habits are greatly assisted by 

 the nature of the ground it frequents, 

 which is generally the luxurious growth 



appearance of the park-like glades near 

 timber line. Beyond those he never as- 

 cends, although his little 4-stripcd con- 

 gener is quite at home among the rocks 

 above the limit of forest growth. 



Townsend's chipmunk is sometimes 

 guilty of much damage to the farm and 

 garden, stealing and storing away large 

 quantities of grain, etc. Once when using 

 an outhouse as a workshop I found a row 

 of bird skins, placed on a shelf to dry, 

 had been tampered with. On investigation 

 I found all the cotton stuffing had been 

 extracted, and the cavity filled with peas, 



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