Gray-footed Chipmunk

The gray-footed chipmunk (Neotamias canipes) is a terrestrial and forest-dwelling species of chipmunk and rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to New Mexico and in the Sierra Diablo and Guadalupe Mountains in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas in the United States. Its natural habitat are coniferous forests. First discovered in 1902, they are distinguished by the unique gray dorsal colouring on the hind feet, hence the common name. They demonstrate sexual dimorphism, and the female is larger than the male. == Taxonomy == The species name comes from the Latin cantitia, meaning "gray in color", and pes, meaning "foot", and the genus name comes from the Greek word Tamias, meaning "a distributor". N. canipes was formerly considered a subspecies of N. cinereicollis, the gray-collared chipmunk, but it was brought to species status in 1960. There are two distinguished subspecies of N. canipes: Neotamias canipes canipes, first distinguished as a subspecies of N. canipes in 1960, the type locality of N. canipes being N. c. canipes. Neotamias canipes sacramentoensis, type locality found in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico at an elevation of 2,743 m (8,999 ft). It was first distinguished as a subspecies in 1960. The distribution range…