Tamias striatus 343tially, in July when the young are weaned. Home ranges are
between 1.28 and 2.6 ha, and they do not appear to diff er
much between the sexes. This species shows altitudinal zo-
nation with several other congeneric species; T. amoenus
and T. minimus are both found at lower elevations, whereas
T. alpinus is found in the alpine zone above T. speciosus. The
zone occupied by T. speciosus appears to be defi ned in part
by the aggressive behavior of T. alpinus and T. amoenus; how-
ever, T. speciosus is reported to be aggressive toward these
two species in its preferred habitat and probably competes
with them under many conditions. In some parts of its
range, T. speciosus is sympatric with T. amoenus, T. quadri-
maculatus, and T. senex. Only coyotes (Canis latrans), Coo-
per’s Hawks (Accipiter cooperi), and Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo
jamaicensis) have been reported to prey on T. speciosus. Para-
sites include eight species of fl eas, two species of lice, and
fi ve tick species. T. speciosus is also known to carry Yersinia
pestis, the bacterium responsible for sylvatic (bubonic)
plague.
general references: Best, Clawson, et al. 1994b; R. M.
Davis et al. 2008; Izzo et al. 2005; A. W. Linzey and Ham-
merson 2008o; Meyer, Kelt, et al. 2007a, 2007b; Moritz et al.
2008; Pyare and Longland 2001; Sutton 1995; Vander Wall
1993a, 1993b, 1993c, 1993e, 1998, 2002.
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Eastern Chipmunk
description: T. striatus is a relat ively robust member of t he
genus, identifi ed by its distinct dorsal and lateral stripes.
The stripes include a median dorsal stripe of brown bor-
dered by two wider bands of gray to brown or reddish
brown agouti. The lateral stripes consist of two black bands
on either side of a white or whitish yellow band. Two darker
stripes on either side of the whitish stripes extend from the
ears to the nose. The tail is dark above and light below. The
venter is white. Few other members of the genus occur
within this species’ range.
size: Female—HB 145.9 mm; T 95.0 mm; Mass 93.9 g.
Male—HB 148.6 mm; T 87.7 mm; Mass 101.0 g.
Sex not stated—HB 150.0 mm; T 93.2 mm; Mass 242.1 g.
distribution: The eastern chipmunk’s range extends from
southern Manitoba east to Nova Scotia (Canada), and south-
ward to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia
(USA). It is found east to the Atlantic coast in the northeast-
ern USA; however, in the southern end of its range, it is ab-
sent from much of the coastal plain of North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana. T. striatus was
introduced to Newfoundland.geographic variation: Eleven subspecies are recognized.T. s. striatus—southern Ohio to Georgia, along the Atlantic
seaboard (USA). See description above.
T. s. doorsiensis—Wisconsin (USA). This is a pale form, simi-
lar to T. s. peninsulae, but T. s. doorsiensis has brighter and
more conspicuous postauricular patches; the dorsal pel-
age is grayer; and the tail is more frosted with white.
T. s. fi sheri—lower Hudson Valley in New York state, south
to Virginia and eastern Kentucky, and west to Ohio
(USA). This form is paler and grayer than T. s. striatus.
T. s. griseus—west of the Great Lakes, in the upper Missis-
sippi Valley (USA). This form is larger and grayer than T.
s. striatus, and with a more subdued color pattern.
T. s. lysteri—Ontario (Canada) and Michigan (USA) east to
southeastern Canada and south to northern New York
state (USA). This form is paler than T. s. striatus, with a
bright yellowish red rump.
T. s. ohioensis—Ohio. This form is very dark and dull-
colored.
T. s. peninsulae—Wisconsin and Michigan (USA). This form
is slightly smaller than T. s. griseus, with a very pale and
coppery color.
T. s. pipilans—Louisiana (USA). This form is the largest and
richest-colored form. The cheeks, the sides, and the fl anks
are buff y colored.