Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818958 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF9B-ED67-FA1D-F512F64CF356 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Tamias striatus |
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Eastern Chipmunk
French: Tamia rayé / German: Streifen-Backenhornchen / Spanish: Ardilla listada oriental
Taxonomy. Sciurus striatus, Linnaeus, 1758 View in CoL ,
“Upper Savanna River, South Carolina, USA.”
Eleven subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
T.s.striatusLinnaeus,1758—TennesseeandNWGeorgiatoSOhio(USA).
1:5.doorsiensisLong,1971—NEWisconsin(USA).
T:s.fisheriA.H.Howell,1925—LowerHudsonValley,NewYork,WtoOhio,and StoVirginiaandKentucky(USA).
T: s. griseus Mearns, 1891 — Upper Mississippi Valley, W of the Great Lakes (USA) N to S Manitoba and SW Ontario (Canada).
T:s.ohioensisBole&Moulthrop,1942—Ohio(USA).
T:s.peninsulaeHooper,1942—WisconsinandMichigan(USA).
T:s.pipilansLowery,1943—ELouisiana,Mississippi,andAlabama(USA).
T:s.quebecensisCameron,1950—Quebec(Canada).
T.s.rufescensBole&Moulthrop,1942—extremeNOhioandSMichigan(USA).
T. s. venustus Bangs, 1896 — E Kansas, NE Oklahoma, and Arkansas (USA). Introduced into Newfoundland (Canada).
Descriptive notes. Head—body 145-9-150 mm,tail 87-7-93-2 mm; weight 93-9-101 g. The Eastern Chipmunk is a large-bodied species of Tamias. The mid-dorsal longitudinal stripe is brown, bordered by two wide, gray-to-brown or reddish brown, agouti bands. Laterally, it has a white to whitish yellow stripe on each side, offset by two dark stripes. On head, two dark stripes extend from ears to nose. Venter is white, and tail 1s dark on dorsal surface and light on ventral side. Subspecies doorsiensis is pale, similar to peninsulae, but brighter, with grayer dorsal pelage, more conspicuous post-auricular patches, and with tail more frosted with white. Subspecies fisheri has a paler and grayer pelage than striatus. Subspecies griseus is a large subspecies, with pelage grayer and more subdued than nominate striatus. Subspecies lysteri has a paler pelage than striatus, and bright yellowish red fur on rump. Subspecies ohioensis has a dark and dull coloration. Subspecies peninsulae is pale and coppery, and slightly smaller than griseus. Subspecies pipilans is the largest subspecies and has the most colored pelage, with buff color on cheeks,sides, and flanks. Subspecies quebecensis is similar to griseus, but smaller, darker, and without the buffy tones in gray dorsal areas. The white dorsal stripes are shorter and do not reach base oftail. Subspecies rufescens has a brilliant reddish pelage, with reddish tawny on the rump, bright ocherous-buff in the flanks and thighs, and apricot-buff in feet. Its tail is relatively short. Subspecies venustus has shorter dorsal stripes and a brighter and more intense coloration than striatus. Chromosome number of the Eastern Chipmunk is 2n = 38. Karyotype consists offive pairs of metacentric autosomes, six pairs of submetacentric autosomes, seven pairs of acrocentric autosomes, a large submetacentric X chromosome, and a minute Y chromosome.
Habitat. Deciduous Forest. The Eastern Chipmunk occurs in a large variety of habitats; its presence and abundance are related to availability of mast producing trees, especially oaks (mostly white oaks Quercus alba, Fagaceae) and red maples (Acer rubrum, Sapindaceae) in some areas. Availability of cover, such as woody debris, stumps, downed trees, and potential burrows also affects its abundance. The Eastern Chipmunk is usually more abundant in mature forests, but survives well in fragmented landscapes and is able to cross open clear-cuts of ¢.250 m or more. At least one study found little difference in its abundance in northern hardwood stands from sapling age to mature forest. Microhabitat around burrows is reported to be similar in continuous and fragmented forests.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the Eastern Chipmunk is mostly acorns, seeds such as maple and conifers,fruits, nuts, epigeous and hypogeous fungi, and animal matter such as arthropods, amphibians, snakes, and small mammals. It is also a major predator of the young of ground-nesting birds. The Eastern Chipmunk is both a scatterhoarder and a larderhoarder, and can carry more than 122 maple samaras at the same time in its cheek pouches. It acts as a seed disperser due to its scatterhoarding behavior, but not as much as the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Larder is built underground, near nest, and usually contains mainly acorns, often more than a hundred. Estimated daily energy consumption of captive individuals is around 32-7-35-7 kcal.
Breeding. The Eastern Chipmunk has two mating periods in the year, the first one between late February and early April, and the second in late June-July. Females can reproduce in one of the periods or in both, resulting in two litters a year. Estrus is estimated to last from 6-5 hours to ten days. During this period, several males pursue a female, and mating success of dominant male is usually high when there are few competitors, but subordinates have a better chance at mating success when there are many competitors. Dominant males can mate several times, and females can also mate with several males. Gestation lasts ¢.31-32 days after which females give birth to a litter of 4-5 young, with 15 being maximum recorded, weighing c.3 g each at birth (range 2-5-5 g.). Young have an adult-like coloration at one month of age. Emergence from natal burrow occurs at 5-7 weeks, and sexual maturity is reached at 7-8 months (males) or c¢.3 months (females), although reproduction before the first winter is rare. Males and females disperse from natal area, but males tend to go farther than females, possibly reducing inbreeding and mate competition.
Activity patterns. The Eastern Chipmunk is terrestrial and diurnal, with an activity peak in the middle of the day, although activity patterns of males and females may differ. In the period between late autumn and early spring, most individuals are underground at different levels of torpor, but some individuals may emerge at surface when weather is favorable. Body temperature is usually 36°C—40-3°C at ambient temperatures of 7° to 32°C, but can be severely reduced during torpor bouts. Torpor bouts are short, usually lasting 1-5 days, and the main energy reserve is food stored in a larder. Compared to otherspecies, the Eastern Chipmunk has a very small fat reserve. When quality of food in larder increases, individuals tend to reduce depth and duration of torpor bouts. During summer, activity of the Eastern Chipmunk is also reduced, although the cause of this phenomenon is unclear. Summer activity reduction may be a physiological or behavioral adaptation, or perhaps both; however, food supplementation did not appear to affect summer activity levels.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Eastern Chipmunk is solitary and territorial, defending an area within a 15 m radius around its burrow system, but most encounters are stereotypic displays and real agonistic encounters are rare. It is a very vocal species, with four different calls, with frequency ranging 1-11 kHz. It usually responds to neighbor calls by sitting and observing the area for possible threats. Home ranges are usually small, 0-05-0-6 ha, but vary according to season and across the distribution of the species. The Eastern Chipmunk may also go farther than 100 m from burrow to collect food, and is capable of returning to its burrow from distances as far as 500 m, although the probability of a successful return is reduced after 200 m. Home range appearsto be related to food availability. It can live up to c.6 years, but life span is usually 2-3 years. Population density is extremely variable over time and space, ranging 0-3-37-6 ind/ha. There is contrasting evidence as to whether density is affected by habitat fragmentation.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Eastern Chipmunk has been introduced to Newfoundland, Canada. It is both widespread and abundant. Current population trend is stable and there are no major threats to the Eastern Chipmunk.
Bibliography. Anderson, Johnson etal. (1985), Baack & Switzer (2000), Bertolino (2009), Bowers (1995), Bowers & Adams-Manson (1993), Bowers et al. (1993), Bowman & Fahrig (2002), Caire & Caddell (2006), Durden (1983), Ford & Fahrig (2008), French (2000), Graham (1984), Healy & Brooks (1988), Heffner et al. (2001), Jaffe et al. (2005), King et al. (1998), Lacher & Mares (1996), Lacki et al. (1984a, 1984b), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson) (2008aj), Loew (1999), Mahan & Yahner (1996, 1998, 1999), Martin & Reale (2008), Munro etal. (2005), Perz & Le Blancq (2001), Platt et al. (2007), Reitsma et al. (1990), Reunanen & Grubb (2005), Schnurr et al. (2004), Slajchert et al. (1997), Snyder (1982), Thibault & Bovet (1999), Thorington et al. (2012), White & Svendsen (1992), Wishner (1982), Wood (1993), Yahner & Mahan (1997a, 1997b), Zoliner & Crane (2003).
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