Gray-collared Chipmunk (Neotamias cinereicollis) lives in mountain forests across Southwestern North America. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Gray-collared Chipmunk
- The gray-collared chipmunk is confined to a string of mountain ranges across Arizona and New Mexico. It inhabits mountain coniferous forests in central and eastern Arizona and in central and western New Mexico, preferring pine and Douglas-fir mixes. Its range stretches from the Bill Williams, San Francisco and White Mountains in the south to the Datil, Magdalena and San Mateo Mountains in the north, and it also occurs in oak and juniper woodlands.
- It lives from 1,950 to 3,440 metres (6,400 to 11,290 ft) above sea level. It is most common between 2,100 and 3,300 metres (6,900 and 10,800 ft).
- When undisturbed the chipmunk often perches on a stump or fallen log, gently waving its tail from side to side. From this pose it emits a distinctive "chuck-chuck-chuck" call, while a rapid high-pitched "chipper" serves as its alarm call. It is rather shy and will retreat into cover if alarmed, but in calm moments it remains visible, using the tail display and vocalisation to communicate with neighbours.
- The gray-collared chipmunk does not always enter a deep winter sleep; it sometimes hibernates in winter but at other times stays active, even when snow blankets the forest floor. When the weather turns harsh it may stay inside its nest, relying on food it has stored in holes and crevices. This flexibility lets it continue foraging or conserve energy depending on conditions, and it can emerge to feed on acorns, fir cones and other cached items when the snow melts.
- Surveys in suitable Arizona habitat counted about five gray-collared chipmunks per hectare in April, a figure that rose to roughly twelve per hectare by August, indicating a clear seasonal increase. Breeding takes place in late spring and early summer, producing litters of about five young after a gestation of about thirty days.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeSouthwestern North America
HabitatMountain forests
DietSeeds and nuts
About the Gray-collared Chipmunk
In the sun-dappled forests of the American West, the gray-collared chipmunk darts and weaves with irrepressible energy, its rusty-red fur flaring like embers as it scurries up tree trunks or scatters leaves in its wake. With a flick of its bushy tail, this diminutive dynamo navigates its arboreal realm with ease, its large, round eyes drinking in every detail of its surroundings as it forages for seeds and nuts to store in its hidden caches. As it moves through the forest, the chipmunk's very presence seems to embody the vibrant, unbridled spirit of the wild.
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