324 Tamias merriamiTamias merriami J. A. Allen, 1889
Merriam’s Chipmunk
description: Distinguished by its larger size and long
bushy tail (up to 97% of its head and body length), Merriam’s
chipmunk also has long narrow ears, a white venter, and gray
and brown dorsal stripes that are usually equal in width.
size: Female—HB 135.3 mm; T 112.4 mm.
Male—HB 131.6 mm; T 106.4 mm; Mass 68.0 g.
Sex not stated—HB 133.4 mm; T 116.1 mm; Mass 71.3 g.
distribution: Merriam’s chipmunk is found along the coast
in the southern Sierra Nevada, from south of San Francisco to
Columbia, California (USA), and then southward farther in-
land to extreme northern Baja California (México).
geographic variation: Three subspecies are recognized.
T. m. merriami—in California (USA), its range extends south-
ward of that of T. m. pricei along the coast and northward
through the southern Sierra Nevada, as well as inland
and south to northern Baja California (México). This sub-
species is intermediate in pelage darkness.
T. m. kernensis—its narrow range in California is limited to
xeric pine forests of the Kern Basin and eastern slopes of
the southernmost portion of the Sierra Nevada (USA).
This is the palest of the subspecies, showing little dis-
tinction of the dorsal stripes in the winter pelage.
T. m. pricei—coastal areas of California, from San Fran-
cisco to 125 km southward (USA). This is the largest and
darkest of the subspecies, and it also has the longest
tail.Tamias merriami. Photo courtesy Don Roberson.