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Home/Species/ Merriam's Chipmunk

Neotamias merriami

(J.A. Allen, 1889)

Merriam's Chipmunk

G5Secure Found in 50 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101063
Element CodeAMAFB02090
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusNeotamias
Synonyms
Tamias merriami(J.A. Allen, 1889)
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.

Formerly included T. obscurus, which was recognized as distinct by Callahan (1977).
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-06
Change Date1996-11-06
Range Extent Comments
Lower western slopes of the southern Sierra Nevada and coast ranges from the San Francisco Peninsula, California, southward in wooded areas to north-central Baja California. Sea level to 2940 m.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Chaparral, oak woodland, pine-oak foothill woodland, streamside thickets, rock outcroppings, pinyon-juniper and other coniferous woodland; areas with trees, shrubs, logs, stumps, rocks, and vegetative litter (see Best and Granai 1994 for further details). Primarily occurs in the Upper Sonoran and lower Transition life zones. Nests occur in burrows (typically dug by pocket gopher), decaying stumps, tree hollows (commonly high above ground), or under fallen logs. Typically, young are born in nests in tree cavities; mother may transfer young to a new cavity before young emerge on their own. Night shelters usually are used year after year.

Ecology

Reported to be more solitary and shy than other chipmunks (Sumner and Dixon 1953). Rarely moves more than 300 m from the night shelter (see Best and Granai 1994).

Populations appear to decrease in response to drought (see Best and Granai 1994). Predators include various Carnivora, raptors, and snakes.

See Best and Granai (1994) for information on ecological relations with other TAMIAS species.

Reproduction

Gestation lasts about 32 days; most young are born from late March through May (but sometimes through early fall) at lower elevations, or not until July at high elevations; litter size usually is 3-6; young first emerge above ground about one month after birth; a few live as long as five years (see Best and Granai 1994).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
Roadless Areas (50)
California (50)
AreaForestAcres
AgnewSequoia National Forest9,561
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Arroyo SecoAngeles National Forest4,703
Bear MountainLos Padres National Forest913
Black ButteLos Padres National Forest5,116
Cactus Springs BSan Bernardino National Forest3,106
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
CamuesaLos Padres National Forest8,209
Chalk PeakLos Padres National Forest7,472
Circle MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,375
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Deep CreekSan Bernardino National Forest23,869
Devil GulchSierra National Forest30,490
Dry LakesLos Padres National Forest17,043
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Greenhorn CreekSequoia National Forest28,226
Horseshoe SpringsLos Padres National Forest14,089
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
La BreaLos Padres National Forest14,031
Little PineLos Padres National Forest1,315
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Malduce BuckhornLos Padres National Forest14,177
MatilijaLos Padres National Forest5,218
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
MonoLos Padres National Forest28,141
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
QuatalLos Padres National Forest7,253
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
San Gabriel AddAngeles National Forest2,527
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Sill HillCleveland National Forest5,294
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
Strawberry PeakAngeles National Forest7,245
Tepusquet PeakLos Padres National Forest5,821
TequepisLos Padres National Forest9,080
White LedgeLos Padres National Forest18,632
WoodpeckerSequoia National Forest11,936
WoolstaffSequoia National Forest41,445
References (30)
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  9. Callahan, J.R. 1977. Diagnosis of <i>Eutamias obscurus</i> (Rodentia: Sciuridae). J. of Mamm. 58(2):188-201.
  10. 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.
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  18. Mammalian Species, nos. 1-604. Published by the American Society of Mammalogists.
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  21. Patterson, B. D., and R. W. Norris. 2016. Towards a uniform nomenclature for ground squirrels: the status of the Holarctic chipmunks. Mammalia 80(3):241-251.
  22. Piaggio, A. J., and G. S. Spicer. 2001. Molecular phylogeny of the chipmunks inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase II gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20:335-350.
  23. Roberts, D. R. 1962. Rodent movements in a cutover forest of the Sierra Nevada, California. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
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  30. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]