The crater chipmunk (Neotamias cratericus) is a species of chipmunk native to the coniferous forests of southern Idaho, north of the Snake River Plain. It was formerly considered a subspecies of Neotamias amoenus.[1] It is named after the Craters of the Moon National Monument, where the holotype of this species was first collected.

Crater chipmunk
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Neotamias
Species:
N. cratericus
Binomial name
Neotamias cratericus
(Blossom, 1937)

Description edit

This species averages around 21 cm (8.3 inches) long, with the tail being 9.7 cm (3.8 inches) of this length. This species resembles N. amoenus, but is overall slightly darker.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ Herrera, Nathanael D.; Bell, Kayce C.; Callahan, Colin M.; Nordquist, Erin; Sarver, Brice A. J.; Sullivan, Jack; Demboski, John R.; Good, Jeffrey M. (2 July 2022). "Genomic resolution of cryptic species diversity in chipmunks". Evolution. 76 (9): 52. doi:10.1111/evo.14546.
  2. ^ Blossom, Philip (21 December 1937). "Description of a race of chipmunk from south central Idaho". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology University of Michigan. 366: 2.