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Home/Species/ Long-eared Chipmunk

Neotamias quadrimaculatus

(Gray, 1867)

Long-eared Chipmunk

G4Apparently Secure Found in 19 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100740
Element CodeAMAFB02160
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusNeotamias
Synonyms
Tamias quadrimaculatusGray, 1867
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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-06
Change Date2025-08-06
Edition Date2025-08-06
Edition AuthorsGundy, R. L. (2025)
Threat ImpactUnknown
Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species has a limited range in eastern California and adjacent Nevada. Little is known about the population, but no major threats are known, most occurrences are on conservation lands, and the population is presumably relatively stable.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in east-central California and west-central Nevada. It is found in the Sierra Nevada of east-central California (Plumas to Mariposa and Madera counties), and adjacent west-central Nevada in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe (Hoffmann et al. in Wilson and Reeder 1993, Clawson et al. 1994). It is found at elevations of 960-2250 m. Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 42,115 km² (RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 5 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 86 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
No threats are explicitly known at this time.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Sutton (1995).

Habitat

Chaparral, brushfields, open areas in coniferous forests (e.g., ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, mixed coniferous); occurs among brush, rocks, and logs. Basically terrestrial but sometimes climbs trees. Nests have been found under buildings and in tree hollows. See Clawson et al. (1994) for further details.

Ecology

Home range size in spring is 0.3-1.8 ha in males, 0.3-0.6 ha in females; male home range may be up to several hundred meters in diameter; males show little evidence of strict territoriality. Density of active population peaked at 1/ha in June in one study area.

Reportedly may play a role in preventing reseeding of coniferous forests (see Clawson et al. 1994).

Reproduction

Mating begins in late April and the first half of May; gestation lasts about 31 days; young are born from May to July (mainly in the first half of June); litter size is 2-6 (mean around 4.4); young are almost fully grown by early September (see Clawson et al. 1994).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS4Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Roadless Areas (19)
California (17)
AreaForestAcres
Bell MeadowStanislaus National Forest7,968
Castle Crags AShasta-Trinity National Forest113
Castle Crags BShasta-Trinity National Forest1,619
DomeStanislaus National Forest11,085
EagleStanislaus National Forest16,116
Granite ChiefTahoe National Forest6,546
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - Virginia LksHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,050
Iceberg - Mill CreekHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest26,988
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
Onion SpringsLassen National Forest2,421
Poison HoleEldorado National Forest2,627
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
WaterhouseStanislaus National Forest4,394
West YubaPlumas National Forest6,071
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,822
Nevada (2)
AreaForestAcres
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
Rose - Whites CanyonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest2,568
References (29)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2024. The Mammal Diversity Database (MDD). Online. Available: www.mammaldiversity.org
  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. Broadbooks, H. E. 1970a. Home ranges and territorial behavior of the yellow-pine chipmunk, <i>Eutamius amoenus.</i> Journal of Mammalogy 51:310-26.
  5. Broadbooks, H. E. 1970b. Populations of the yellow pine chipmunk, <i>Eutamias amoenus</i>. American Midland Naturalist 83:472-488.
  6. Brown, J. H. 1971. Mechanisms of competitive exclusion between two species of chipmunks. Ecology 52:305-311.
  7. Burt, W. H. and R. P. Grossenheider. 1964. A field guide to the mammals. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  8. Clawson, R. G., J. A. Clawson, and T. L. Best. 1994. Tamias quadrimaculatus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 469:1-6.
  9. 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.
  10. Gashwiler, J. S. 1965. Longevity and home range of a Townsend chipmunk. Journal of Mammalogy 46:693.
  11. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  12. Ingles, L. G. 1965. Mammals of the Pacific States. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
  13. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  14. Jameson, E. W., Jr. 1999. Host-ectoparasite relationships among North American chipmunks. Acta Theriologica 44:225-231.
  15. 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.
  16. Levenson, H., et al. 1985. Systematics of the Holarctic chipmunks (<i>Tamias</i>). J. Mammalogy 66:219-242.
  17. Oxley, D. J., M. B. Fenton and G. R. Carmody. 1974. The effects of roads on populations of small mammals. Journal of Applied Ecology 11: 51-59.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  21. Roberts, D. R. 1962. Rodent movements in a cutover forest of the Sierra Nevada, California. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
  22. Sheppard, D. 1972. Home ranges of chipmunks (<i>Eutamias</i>) in Alberta. Journal of Mammalogy 53:379- 380.
  23. Storer, T. I., F. C. Evans, and F. G. Palmer. 1944. Some rodent populations in the Sierra Nevada of California. Ecological Monographs 14:166-192.
  24. Sutton, D. A. 1992. Tamias amoenus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 390:1-8.
  25. Sutton, D. A. 1995. Problems of taxonomy and distribution in four species of chipmunks. Journal of Mammalogy 76:843-850.
  26. Wadsworth, C. E. 1972. Observations of the Colorado chipmunk in southeastern Utah. Southwestern Naturalist 16:451-454.
  27. Whitaker, J. O., Jr. 1980. The Audubon Society field guide to North American mammals. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 745 pp.
  28. 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/.
  29. 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]