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The Baculum in the Chipmunks of Western North America · John A. White — chapter 4 of 10 · ~1,081 words · public domain

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Baculum: Shaft thin; keel low, 1/5 of length of tip; tip 18 to 28 per cent of length of shaft; angle formed by tip and shaft 125°; distal 1/2 of shaft slightly compressed laterally; shaft short to long, 2.44 to 4.35 mm.

Differs from E. speciosus, E. panamintinus, E. umbrinus, E. palmeri, and E. bulleri, in shaft thinner, base not markedly widened; from E. quadrivittatus, E. ruficaudus, E. cinereicollis, and E. quadrimaculatus, in shaft thinner, tip shorter; from E. amoenus, in tip less than 28 per cent of length of shaft; from E. dorsalis, in angle formed by tip and shaft smaller; from E. townsendii, in tip less than 28 per cent of length of shaft, angle formed by tip and shaft 125° instead of 130°; from E. sonomae, in ridges on either side of tip less well-developed, keel higher; from E. merriami, in shaft shorter (less than 4.40 mm.), base not incised, tip proportionally longer.

For comparison with E. alpinus see the account of that species.

In most places where E. minimus and E. amoenus occur together they can be distinguished without recourse to the baculum, but at Banff and Canmore in western Alberta, recourse to the baculum is almost necessary. There, as elsewhere, they can be distinguished readily by the shape of the bacula.

Specimens examined: 72.

Eutamias minimus borealis: Alberta: Canmore, 1 (BS).

E. m. cacodemus: South Dakota: Shannon Co.: Quinn's Draw, Cheyenne River, 1 (NM); 14 mi. N and 5 mi. W Rockyford, 3,200 ft., 1.

E. m. confinis: Wyoming: Big Horn Co.: 17 mi. E and 3 mi. S Shell, 9,000 ft., 1; 9 mi. E and 9 mi. N Tensleep, 8,200 ft., 1. Washakie Co.: 9 mi. E and 4 mi. N Tensleep, 7,000 ft., 1.

E. m. consobrinus: Montana: Madison Co.: 26 mi. NW West Yellowstone, 6,100 ft., 1. Wyoming: Sublette Co.: 5 mi. E and 9 mi. N Pinedale, 9,100 ft., 2. Uinta Co.: 10 mi. S and 1 mi. W Robertson, 8,700 ft., 1; 13 mi. S and 2 mi. E Robertson, 9,200 ft., 2. Utah: Uintah Co.: Paradise Park, 21 mi. W and 15 mi. N Vernal, 10,050 ft., 8. Colorado: Jackson Co.: 9-1/2 mi. W and 2 mi. N Walden, 8,400 ft., 1.

E. m. jacksoni: Michigan: Menominee Co.: 7 mi. E Stephenson, 4 (MM). Wisconsin: Juneau Co.: Camp Douglas, 1 (NM).

E. m. minimus: Wyoming: Natrona Co.: 27 mi. N and 1 mi. E Powder River, 6,075 ft., 1; 16 mi. S and 11 mi. W Waltman, 6,950 ft., 1; Sun Ranch, 5 mi. W Independence Rock, 6,000 ft., 1. Uinta Co.: 8-1/2 mi. W Ft. Bridger, 7,100 ft., 1; 2 mi. W Ft. Bridger, 6,700 ft., 1; unspecified, 3 (MM). Sweetwater Co.: Kinney Ranch, 21 mi. S Bitter Creek, 6,800 ft., 1; 32 mi. S and 22 mi. E Rock Springs, 7,025 ft., 3; 33 mi. S Bitter Creek, 1.

E. m. operarius: Wyoming: Converse Co.: 21-1/2 mi. S and 24-1/2 mi. W Douglas, 1. Carbon Co.: 8 mi. N and 19-1/2 mi. E Savery, 8,800 ft., 1; 5 mi. N and 5 mi. E Savery, 6,900 ft., 1. Albany Co.: 3 mi. ESE Browns Peak, 10,000 ft., 1. Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park, 1 (MM). Boulder Co.: Unspecified, 1 (NM). Gunnison Co.: 7 mi. S and 7 mi. W Gunnison, 8,150 ft., 1. Saguache Co.: 5 mi. N and 22 mi. W Saguache, 10,000 ft., 2. Archuleta Co.: Unspecified, 1 (MM); 5 mi. S and 25 mi. W Antonito, 9,600 ft., 3. Costilla Co.: Unspecified, 1 (MM). New Mexico: Taos Co.: 23 mi. S and 6 mi. E Taos, 8,750 ft., 3.

E. m. pallidus: Montana: Fergus Co.: Unspecified, 1 (MM). Sweetgrass Co.: Unspecified, 1 (MM). Wyoming: Campbell Co.: 4 mi. S and 3 mi. W Rockypoint, 1; Ivy Creek, 8 mi. W and 5 mi. N Spotted Horse, 3; Middle Butte, 6,010 ft., 38 mi. S and 19 mi. W Gillette, 1.

E. m. silvaticus: South Dakota: Pennington Co.: Unspecified, 1 (MM). Custer Co.: Unspecified, 2 (MM). Wyoming: Weston Co.: 1-1/2 mi. E Buckhorn, 6,150 ft., 3.

#Eutamias townsendii# (Bachman)

Figure 3

Pelage tawny to olivaceous; stripes obscure and underparts tawny, or stripes conspicuous and underparts white; tail slender and sparsely haired; size large; skull largest in the subgenus Neotamias.

Baculum: Shaft thin; keel low, 1/5 of length of tip; tip 32 per cent of length of shaft; angle formed by tip and shaft 130°; distal 1/5 of shaft slightly compressed laterally; base deeper and wider than shaft; shaft short, 2.24 mm.

Differs from E. speciosus, E. panamintinus, E. umbrinus, E. palmeri, and E. bulleri, in base not markedly widened, shaft thinner, tip proportionally shorter; from E. quadrivittatus, E. ruficaudus, E. cinereicollis, and E. quadrimaculatus, in shaft thinner, baculum shorter and smaller; from E. sonomae, in ridges on either side of tip not enlarged, keel proportionally higher; from E. amoenus and E. dorsalis, in base widened and thickened, baculum usually shorter; from E. merriami, in being markedly shorter, and having base widened and deepened but not incised dorsally.

For comparisons with E. alpinus and E. minimus see the accounts of those species.

Specimens examined: 2.

E. townsendii townsendii: Oregon: Multnomah Co.: Portland, 1 (NM).

E. t. cooperi: Oregon: Hood Co.: Brooks Meadow, 4,300 ft., 9 mi. ENE Mount Hood, 1.

#Eutamias sonomae# Grinnell

Figure 4

Upper parts rich reddish, more or less dulled by gray; backs of pinnae of ears nearly bare; tail long and bushy; size large; skull large, long, and narrow; rostrum deep.

Baculum: Shaft thin; keel low, 1/10 of length of tip; tip 27 to 31 per cent of length of shaft; angle formed by tip and shaft 130°; distal 1/4 of shaft slightly compressed laterally; base deeper and wider than shaft; shaft of medium length, 3.03 to 3.30 mm.; ridges on either side of tip strongly developed, partly obscuring keel from side.

Differs from E. speciosus, E. panamintinus, E. umbrinus, E. palmeri, and E. bulleri, in ridges on either side of tip strongly developed, shaft thin, base not markedly widened, tip proportionally shorter; from E. quadrivittatus, E. ruficaudus, E. cinereicollis, and E. quadrimaculatus, in shaft thin, ridges on either side of tip strongly developed, baculum shorter; from E. amoenus and E. dorsalis, in keel lower, ridges on either side of tip strongly developed, base thicker and wider; from E. merriami, in markedly shorter, ridges on either side of tip strongly developed, tip proportionally longer, base wider and deeper but not incised dorsally.

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