Colorado Chipmunk

The Colorado chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus) is a species of chipmunk in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States. == Description == This species is the largest of the three species of chipmunks found in the Colorado Front Range (which also include the least chipmunk and the Uinta chipmunk). On average it weighs about 62 grams (2.2 oz). Chipmunks are distinguished from ground squirrels in that their faces have a stripe going across under the eye. There are no dimorphic differences between males and females. Their vocalizations are essential for defending their territories. Three subspecies are recognized. N. q. australis - Organ Mountains, New Mexico N. q. oscuraensis - Oscura Mountains, New Mexico N. q. quadrivittatus - Colorado, northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, eastern Utah == Habitat == The Colorado chipmunk primarily occupies coniferous forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains. In northeastern Colorado, the Colorado chipmunk's range is strictly bounded by competition with the higher-elevation Uinta chipmunk and it predominately occurs in open woodlands between 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) and 2,100 metres (6,900 ft). In southern Colorado, where Uinta chipmunks are absent, the Colorado chipmunk occurs in montane forests and…