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Neotamias townsendii

(Bachman, 1839)

Townsend's Chipmunk

G5Secure Found in 56 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105861
Element CodeAMAFB02040
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 townsendii(Bachman, 1839)
Other Common Names
Tamia de Townsend (FR) Townsend's 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.

The nominal taxa senex, ochrogenys, and siskiyou formerly were included in T. townsendii; these taxa were regarded as distinct species by Sutton and Nadler (1974); Sutton 1987, 1992, 1993; Jones et al. 1992; and Hoffmann et al., in Wilson and Reeder 1993).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-04
Change Date1996-11-05
Edition Date2010-02-02
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Range extends along the Pacific coast of North America, from extreme southwestern British Columbia south to southern Oregon (Rogue River), southward in the western Cascades to the headwaters of the Rogue River (Sutton 1993).
Threat Impact Comments
In coastal British Columbia, population appeared to decline temporarily as a result of herbicide treatment of Douglas-fir plantation (Sullivan 1990).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

Reddish brown pelage, with two grayish, brownish, or whitish dark-bordered stripes on each side of the back, a dark stripe down the middle of the back, and a whitish stripe above and below each eye; long bushy tail, the underside of which is reddish brown or tawny; back side of ear blackish in front, gray in rear; brown stripe below ear; total length to around 30 cm.

Habitat

Townsends chipmunks are most often associated with dense mesic closed-canopy coniferous forests, coniferous tree islands, and dense brushy thickets, including clearcut areas, especially several years after harvest and/or if slash is left. They generally occur under or among brush, slash, and other protective cover.

Ecology

In one area, home ranged averaged 0.8 ha and density was 2.6 adults/ha (see Sutton 1993). In Oregon, density was 0.6-1.1/ha in virgin forest (see Sutton 1993).

Weasels, mink, and bobcats are important predators.

Feeding experiments in British Columbia indicated that the population was limited by food availability (see Sutton 1993).

See Sutton (1993) for information on ecological interactions between T. TOWNSENDII and T. AMOENUS.

Reproduction

Mating occurs in spring, young are born in May-June, and young appear above ground by July (Washington Cascade Mountains). Gestation lasts about 4 weeks. Average litter size is 3.8. Young appear above ground in July(Kenagy and Barnes 1988). Individual females produce one litter each year. Breeding first occurs at an age of 1 or 2 years. Some live as long as 7 years.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - ConiferForest - MixedWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparral
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN4
ProvinceRankNative
British ColumbiaS4Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
WashingtonS5Yes
OregonS4Yes
Roadless Areas (56)
Oregon (28)
AreaForestAcres
Badger CreekMt. Hood National Forest847
Bull Of The WoodsMt. Hood National Forest8,843
Calf - Copeland CreekUmpqua National Forest15,696
Chucksney MountainWillamette National Forest15,369
Cougar BluffUmpqua National Forest5,574
EagleMt. Hood National Forest16,841
Echo MountainWillamette National Forest8,098
FairviewUmpqua National Forest7,417
French Pete (a)Willamette National Forest1,668
Gordon MeadowsWillamette National Forest9,463
Hebo 1aSiuslaw National Forest13,930
LakeMt. Hood National Forest1,327
LarchMt. Hood National Forest12,961
Maiden PeakWillamette National Forest9,627
Menagerie (rooster Rock)Willamette National Forest374
Mt. Hood AdditionsMt. Hood National Forest13,061
Roaring RiverWillamette National Forest2,128
Roaring RiverMt. Hood National Forest27,316
Salmon - HuckleberryMt. Hood National Forest17,570
Shasta CostaSiskiyou National Forests14,420
TahkenitchSiuslaw National Forest5,799
TenmileSiuslaw National Forest10,818
Twin LakesMt. Hood National Forest6,055
Waldo - LakeWillamette National Forest2,993
Waldo - MoolackWillamette National Forest1,183
Williams CreekUmpqua National Forest5,844
Wind CreekMt. Hood National Forest5,438
WoahinkSiuslaw National Forest5,309
Washington (28)
AreaForestAcres
Alpine Lakes Adj.Wenatchee National Forest57,104
BackboneGifford Pinchot National Forest1,201
Big Lava BedGifford Pinchot National Forest19,043
Blue SlideWenatchee National Forest17,505
Boulder RiverMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest32,563
BourbonGifford Pinchot National Forest4,512
Eagle RockMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest34,064
Glacier Peak BMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest19,328
Glacier Peak JMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest26,482
Glacier Peak KMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest47,269
Glacier Peak LMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest14,084
Green MountainOlympic National Forest4,617
Heather LakeWenatchee National Forest10,628
Jefferson RidgeOlympic National Forest6,512
Jupiter RidgeOlympic National Forest10,148
Liberty BellOkanogan National Forest108,495
Mt. Baker NorthMt Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest16,873
Mt. BaldyOlympic National Forest3,557
Mt. ZionOlympic National Forest3,544
Nason RidgeWenatchee National Forest19,329
Norse PeakWenatchee National Forest10,169
Packwood LakeGifford Pinchot National Forest1,084
QuilceneOlympic National Forest18,656
Red MountainGifford Pinchot National Forest2,992
TeanawayWenatchee National Forest72,849
Thorp Mtn.Wenatchee National Forest22,717
Twin LakesWenatchee National Forest22,496
Upper SkokomishOlympic National Forest9,311
References (33)
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