Tamias merriami
Silhouette: Chloé Schmidt · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Merriam's chipmunk (Neotamias merriami) is a species of chipmunk in the family Sciuridae. It is found in central and southern California in the United States and a small area in northern Baja California, Mexico. Its fur is grayish-brown, with dark and light-colored dorsal stripes. It has light gray or white stripes around the eyes and a white underbelly. The tail is very bushy, often measuring over 80% of the head and body length. They experience molting of the fur on their bodies and tails.
The dental formula for Tamias merriami is 1.0.2.3.1.0.1.3. × 2 = 22 The Merriam's chipmunk lives in parts of central and southern California and Baja California, including along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. They have been observed at altitudes of up to 2,940 meters but most often live at elevations under 1,200 meters. They primarily inhabit forests and chaparral-covered shrubland habitats. They live in areas with a variety of trees, shrubs, logs, rocks, and plant litter, which are features utilized for their food and shelter.
The merriam's chipmunk has a mainly herbivorous diet. It forages daily for food and carries... Wikipedia →
Recording0:11
United States · 2021
© LJ Moore-McClelland · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
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United States · 2022
© Cricket Raspet · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
Recording0:30
United States · 2020
© sea-kangaroo · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Merriam's Chipmunk sighting in Los Angeles on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 21st most-seen of the 33 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Merriam's Chipmunk in Los Angeles on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Merriam's Chipmunk sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Merriam's Chipmunk sightings, Los Angeles has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come San Francisco (United States, under 5%).
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Merriam's Chipmunk that you can see in Los Angeles (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Fox Squirrel (about 50%), California Ground Squirrel (about 30%) and Western Gray Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Merriam's Chipmunk is recorded against all the mammals logged in Los Angeles (26 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
