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Home/Species/ Lodgepole Chipmunk

Neotamias speciosus

(Merriam, 1890)

Lodgepole Chipmunk

G4Apparently Secure Found in 51 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
UnknownThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105567
Element CodeAMAFB02170
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusNeotamias
Synonyms
Tamias speciosusMerriam, 1890
Other Common Names
lodgepole 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.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-08-06
Change Date1996-11-06
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 the Sierra Nevada of California and adjacent Nevada. Little is known about the population, but many occurrences are protected on conservation land, no threats are known, and the population is presumably stable.
Range Extent Comments
This species occurs in eastern California and adjacent Nevada, United States. It is found in the central Sierra Nevada mountains in California, into Nevada in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe, south to the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains and Mount Pinos. Elevations of 1,500 - 3,000 m. Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 147,324 km² (RARECAT 2025).

Reported occurrence in the northern Sierra Nevada has been questioned by D. A. Sutton; field investigations revealed only T. amoenus in localities from which speciosus has been reported (see Best et al. 1994, Sutton 1995).
Occurrences Comments
Applying a 5 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 174 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
No threats are known at this time.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Sutton (1995).

Habitat

Open mixed-conifer forests and forests mixed with chaparral; forests of lodgepole pine, Jeffrey pine, and red fir; lodgepole pine/chinquapin/shrub associations in southern California; meadows in some areas. Primarily in Canadian, but also Hudsonian and upper Transition life zones. Primarily terrestrial but frequently climbs trees. Nests for sleeping and rearing young are in burrows, stumps, logs, tree cavities (e.g., woodpecker holes), or among rocks.

Ecology

Populations fluctuate seasonally and annually; maximum reported density is about 1/ha (see Best et al. 1994).

Home range size averages about 1.3-2.6 ha; at Yosemite, the longest axis of a home range was 252 m (see Best et al. 1994). See Best et al. (1994) for information on the distributional relationships among T. speciosus and other Tamias species.

Reproduction

Breeding occurs in May and June, about one month after emergence from hibernation; young are born in spring and early summer; litter size usually is 3-6 (reported as 6-9 by Sumner and Dixon 1953); young emerged in late July in the San Jacinto Mountains; one litter/year (see Best et al. 1994).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN4
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS4Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
Unknown/undetermined———

—

Roadless Areas (51)
California (50)
AreaForestAcres
AgnewSequoia National Forest9,561
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Bucks LakePlumas National Forest680
Caples CreekEldorado National Forest17,854
Carson - IcebergStanislaus National Forest56,430
Castle PeakTahoe National Forest14,974
ChannellSequoia National Forest45,429
ChicoSequoia National Forest39,836
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga BSan Bernardino National Forest11,933
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
DardanellesEldorado National Forest8,110
Devil's Gate (CA)Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest9,946
Dinkey LakesSierra National Forest34,171
DomeStanislaus National Forest11,085
Domeland Add.Sequoia National Forest3,046
EagleStanislaus National Forest16,116
East YubaTahoe National Forest17,968
Granite ChiefTahoe National Forest6,546
Hall Natural AreaInyo National Forest5,236
Heart LakeLassen National Forest9,349
Hoover - Mt.olsenHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest624
Hoover - Virginia LksHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest5,050
Horse Mdw.Inyo National Forest5,687
Jennie LakeSequoia National Forest2,388
Kings RiverSierra National Forest52,999
Log Cabin SaddlebagInyo National Forest15,165
Mt. JacksonHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest20,721
Mt. OlsenInyo National Forest2,161
North LakeInyo National Forest2,406
Pleasant ViewAngeles National Forest26,395
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
Raymond PeakStanislaus National Forest3,646
RinconSequoia National Forest54,610
San JoaquinSierra National Forest22,474
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
Sawmill - BadlandsLos Padres National Forest51,362
Sespe - FrazierLos Padres National Forest106,910
Sheep MountainAngeles National Forest21,098
Slate Mtn.Sequoia National Forest12,299
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
South SierraSequoia National Forest8,008
SugarloafSan Bernardino National Forest8,206
Table Mtn.Inyo National Forest4,215
TinemahaInyo National Forest27,060
Tioga LakeInyo National Forest829
Tragedy - Elephants BackEldorado National Forest20,866
Trail LakeLassen National Forest1,124
WoodpeckerSequoia National Forest11,936
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Rose - GalenaHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest3,711
References (27)
  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. Best, T. L., R. G. Clawson, and J. A. Clawson. 1994. Tamias speciosus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 478:1-9.
  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. Gashwiler, J. S. 1965. Longevity and home range of a Townsend chipmunk. Journal of Mammalogy 46:693.
  10. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  11. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  12. Jameson, E. W., Jr. 1999. Host-ectoparasite relationships among North American chipmunks. Acta Theriologica 44:225-231.
  13. 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.
  14. Levenson, H., et al. 1985. Systematics of the Holarctic chipmunks (<i>Tamias</i>). J. Mammalogy 66:219-242.
  15. 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.
  16. 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.
  17. 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.
  18. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  19. Roberts, D. R. 1962. Rodent movements in a cutover forest of the Sierra Nevada, California. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.
  20. Sheppard, D. 1972. Home ranges of chipmunks (<i>Eutamias</i>) in Alberta. Journal of Mammalogy 53:379- 380.
  21. 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.
  22. Sumner, L., and J.S. Dixon. 1953. Birds and mammals of the Sierra Nevada. University of California Press, Berkeley.
  23. Sutton, D. A. 1992. Tamias amoenus. Am. Soc. Mamm., Mammalian Species No. 390:1-8.
  24. Sutton, D. A. 1995. Problems of taxonomy and distribution in four species of chipmunks. Journal of Mammalogy 76:843-850.
  25. Wadsworth, C. E. 1972. Observations of the Colorado chipmunk in southeastern Utah. Southwestern Naturalist 16:451-454.
  26. 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/.
  27. 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]