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Home/Species/ Gray-footed Chipmunk

Neotamias canipes

(V. Bailey, 1902)

Gray-footed Chipmunk

G4Apparently Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101405
Element CodeAMAFB02150
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusNeotamias
Synonyms
Eutamias canipesTamias canipes(V. Bailey, 1902)
Other Common Names
gray-footed chipmunk (EN)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
Taxonomic Comments
See Patterson and Norris (2016) for a revised classification of Marmotini (Sciuridae: Xerinae), based on Thorington et al. (2012), Ge et al. (2014), and Patterson and Norris (2016); the three chipmunk lineages should be recognized as three distinct genera, namely, Tamias Illiger, 1811, Eutamias Trouessart, 1880, and Neotamias A. H. Howell, 1929. Thorington and Hoffmann (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) noted that chipmunks could be legitimately allocated to one (Tamias), two (Neotamias, Tamias), or three (Tamias, Neotamias, Eutamias) genera; they chose to adopt the single-genus (Tamias) arrangement.

This species formerly was regarded as a subspecies of T. cinereicollis; it was elevated to species status by Fleharty (1960).
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-05
Change Date2006-04-12
Edition Date2025-08-05
Edition AuthorsClausen, M. K., and G. Hammerson (2006); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent5000-200,000 square km (about 2000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 80
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited range in several mountain ranges in southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas. Little is known about the population, but no major threats are known and no declines have been reported.
Range Extent Comments
The range includes the Gallinas, Sacramento, Jicarilla, Capitan, White (= Sierra Blanca), and Guadalupe mountains, Sierra Diablo, and Carrizozo Malpais lava flow in the Tularosa Valley in southeastern New Mexico and southwestern Texas (Best et al. 1992, Frey 2004, Schmidly 2004). In Texas, this species occurs at elevations of 1,800-2,500 meters (Schmidly 2004). Elevational range in New Mexico extends as low as about 1,600 meters and as high as around 3,600 meters. Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 20,006 km² (RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
This species occurs in dozens of locations in several mountain ranges (Schmidly 2004, Frey and Boykin 2007, Frey and Hays 2017).
Threat Impact Comments
Small populations may be vulnerable to massive fires (Schmidly 2004), but no major threats have been identified. Aging mixed coniferous forest stands without natural disturbances (e.g., natural moderate-intensity fires) or habitat management to thin the canopy and promote a diverse herbaceous understory with downed woody debris may limit local population sizes (Wampler et al. 2008). Clearcutting occupied forests would likely cause local extirpations.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include coniferous forests (spruce, fir, Douglas-fir), dense mixed oak/pine/fir forests, pinyon-juniper woodland, and brushy hillsides with rocky crevices. In Texas, gray-footed chipmunks occur only in higher-elevation forests and brushy hillsides (Schmidly 2004). These chipmunks are most numerous among or near the cover of logs and rocks, etc. They climb and perch on logs, rocks, cliffs, and woody plants. Nests often are in cavities of downed timber; sometimes underground among roots of decaying stumps (see Best et al. 1992).

Ecology

Little is known.

Reproduction

Young are born apparently from mid-May through August. A female captured in Texas had four embryos in early August (Schmidly 1977).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS3Yes
TexasS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
5 - Biological resource useUnknownExtreme - seriousModerate - low
5.3 - Logging & wood harvestingUnknownExtreme - seriousModerate - low
5.3.4 - Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest]UnknownExtreme - seriousModerate - low
7 - Natural system modificationsLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1 - Fire & fire suppressionLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)
7.1.2 - Suppression in fire frequency/intensityLarge (31-70%)Slight or 1-10% pop. declineHigh (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (2)
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
References (33)
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  2. Baker, R. J., L. C. Bradley, R. D. Bradley, J. W. Dragoo, M. D. Engstrom, R. S. Hoffman, C. A. Jones, F. Reid, D. W. Rice, and C. Jones. 2003a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 2003. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 229:1-23.
  3. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  4. Best, T. L., J. L. Bartig, and S. L. Burt. 1992. Tamias canipes. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 411:1-5.
  5. Broadbooks, H. E. 1970a. Home ranges and territorial behavior of the yellow-pine chipmunk, <i>Eutamius amoenus.</i> Journal of Mammalogy 51:310-26.
  6. Broadbooks, H. E. 1970b. Populations of the yellow pine chipmunk, <i>Eutamias amoenus</i>. American Midland Naturalist 83:472-488.
  7. Brown, J. H. 1971. Mechanisms of competitive exclusion between two species of chipmunks. Ecology 52:305-311.
  8. Elliot, L. 1978. Social behavior and foraging ecology of the eastern chipmunk (<i>Tamias striatus</i>) in the Adirondack Mountains. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology No. 265. 107 pp.
  9. Fleharty, E. D. 1960. The status of the gray-necked chipmunk in New Mexico. J. Mamm. 41:235-242.
  10. Frey, J. K. 2004. Taxonomy and distribution of the mammals of New Mexico: an annotated checklist. Museum of Texas Tech University Occasional Papers 240. 32 pp.
  11. Frey, J. K., and K. Boykin. 2007. Status assessment of the Peñasco least chipmunk (<i>Tamias minimus atristriatus</i>), final report. Submitted to Conservation Services Division, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Sante Fe, NM. 72 pp.
  12. Frey, J. K., and Q. R. Hays. 2017. Surveys for the Peñasco least chipmunk <br/>(<i>Tamias minimus atristriatus</i>) 2016. Prepared for New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and Lincoln National Forest. 47 pp.
  13. Gashwiler, J. S. 1965. Longevity and home range of a Townsend chipmunk. Journal of Mammalogy 46:693.
  14. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
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  16. Jameson, E. W., Jr. 1999. Host-ectoparasite relationships among North American chipmunks. Acta Theriologica 44:225-231.
  17. Jones, J. K., Jr., R. S. Hoffman, D. W. Rice, C. Jones, R. J. Baker, and M. D. Engstrom. 1992a. Revised checklist of North American mammals north of Mexico, 1991. Occasional Papers, The Museum, Texas Tech University, 146:1-23.
  18. Levenson, H., et al. 1985. Systematics of the Holarctic chipmunks (<i>Tamias</i>). J. Mammalogy 66:219-242.
  19. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. 1996. October 1-last update. Fish and Wildlife Information Exchange-VA Tech. Online. Available: http//www.fw.vt.edu/fishex/nm.html. Accessed 1997, April 8.
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  23. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  24. Roberts, D. R. 1962. Rodent movements in a cutover forest of the Sierra Nevada, California. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
  25. Schmidly, D. J. 1977. The mammals of Trans-Pecos Texas including Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Texas A & M University Press, College Station.
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  30. Wadsworth, C. E. 1972. Observations of the Colorado chipmunk in southeastern Utah. Southwestern Naturalist 16:451-454.
  31. Wampler, C. R., J. K. Frey, D. M. VanLeeuwen, J. C. Boren, and T. T. Baker. 2008. Mammals in mechanically thinned and non-thinned mixed-coniferous forest in the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist 53(4): 431-443.
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