are: Barron (Howell, 1929:75), Lyman Lake (Howell, 1929:75),
Cascade Tunnel (W. W. D.), Mt. Stuart (W. W. D.), Lake Kachees (W.
W. D.), Boulder Cave (W. W. D.), and Mt. St. Helens (Howell,
1929:75).
_Remarks._--At the higher altitudes this race seems to be the
equivalent of _affinis_. The latter race lives in relatively arid
yellow pine forests and _ludibundus_ occupies more moist and
varied habitats higher in the mountains.
=Tamias amoenus affinis= Allen
_Tamias quadrivittatus affinis_ Allen, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull.,
3:103, June, 1890.
_Eutamias quadrivittatus affinis_ Miller and Rehn, Proc. Boston
Soc. Nat. Hist., 30:44, December 27, 1901.
_Eutamias amoenus affinis_ Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:184, August 4,
1922.
_Tamias amoenus affinis_ Ellerman, Fam. and Genera of Living
Rodents, British Mus. Nat. Hist., p. 432, June 8, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained at Ashcroft, British Columbia, by C. P. Streator
on July 3, 1889; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Small size, grayish color including rump,
and white underparts.
_Measurements._--Fourteen males and 7 females from Washington
average: total length 201.5; length of tail 86.5; hind foot 31.7;
ear 17.2.
_Distribution._--The eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains.
Marginal records on the west are: Bald Mountain (Howell, 1929:73),
Mazama (Howell, 1929:73), Hart Lake (Howell, 1929:73), Lake
Wenatchee (W. W. D.), 10 mi. S. Dryden (W. W. D.), Blewett Pass
(W. W. D.), 10 mi. N. W. Ellensburg (W. W. D.), Wenas Creek (W. W.
D.), Mt. Adams (Howell, 1929:73), and Lyle (Howell, 1929:73).
Marginal occurrences on the east are: Mt. Chopaka (Howell,
1929:73), 20 mi. E. Tonasket (W. W. D.) and Omak Lake (Howell,
1929:73).
=Tamias amoenus canicaudus= (Merriam)
_Eutamias canicaudus_ Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 16:77,
May 29, 1903.
_Eutamias amoenus_ canicaudus Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:184, August
4, 1922.
_Tamias amoenus canicaudus_ Ellerman, Fam. and Genera of Living
Rodents, British Mus. Nat. Hist., p. 432, June 8, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained at Spokane, Spokane County, Washington, by C. P.
Streator, on April 11, 1891; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Large size, pale color, grayish tail, white
or buffy underparts.
_Measurements._--Thirteen topotypes average: total length 227.2;
length of tail 104.4; hind foot 33.7; ear 14.
_Distribution._--The pine-covered lowlands along the
central-eastern border of the state, ranging, according to Howell
(1929: 71), from Spokane County south to Pullman.
=Tamias amoenus luteiventris= Allen
_Tamias quadrivittatus luteiventris_ Allen, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist.
Bull., 3:101, June, 1890.
_Eutamias quadrivittatus luteiventris_ Miller and Rehn, Proc.
Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., 30:44, December 27, 1901.
_Eutamias amoenus luteiventris_, Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:179,
August 4, 1922.
_Tamias amoenus luteiventris_ Ellerman, Fam. and Genera of Living
Rodents, British Mus. Nat. Hist., p. 432, June 8, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained at Chief Mountain Lake (Waterton Lake), Alberta
(3-1/2 mi. N. United States boundary) by Elliott Coues on August
24, 1874; type in United States National Museum.
_Racial characters._--Small size, rich color, buffy underparts.
_Measurements._--Twelve males and 12 females from the Blue
Mountains, Columbia County, average respectively: total length
212, 219; length of tail 96.7, 101; hind foot 31.7, 32.5; ear
17.3, 18; weight 46.5, 52.8 grams.
_Distribution._--The Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington,
and the Pend Oreille Mountains of northeastern Washington, west to
Eureka, in the Kettle River Mountains, Ferry County (Howell, 1929:
69), and south to Newport (W. W. D.).
=Tamias ruficaudus simulans= (Howell)
Red-tailed chipmunk
_Eutamias ruficaudus simulans_ Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:179, August
4, 1922.
_Tamias ruficaudus simulans_ Ellerman, Fam. and Genera of Living
Rodents, British Mus. Nat. Hist., p. 434, June 8, 1940.
_Type._--Obtained at Coeur d'Alene, Kootenai County, Idaho, by C.
P. Streator on June 1, 1891.
_Measurements._--Six males and 3 females from northeastern
Washington average: total length 234; length of tail 109; hind
foot 31.6; ear 18.
_Distribution._--Northeastern Washington, reported from Pend
Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties by Howell (1929: 98).
_Description._--The red-tailed chipmunk closely resembles _Tamias
amoenus_. From _T. a. luteiventris_ and _T. a. canicaudus_ it differs
principally in larger size, wider brain case and especially in its pure
white underparts. From _T. a. affinis_ it differs in richer coloration,
especially the brownish rather than gray rump. The differences
separating it from _amoenus_ are slight, and only adult specimens can be
identified in the field.
According to Howell (1929: 81) this species occurs in northern Idaho,
western Montana, northeastern Washington, southeastern British Columbia
and extreme southwestern Alberta. Two subspecies are recognized, only
one of which occurs in Washington.
A number of large, white-bellied chipmunks have been taken in
northeastern Washington that answer well to the description of
_ruficaudus_. Also, there are a number of specimens that I cannot
definitely identify as either _amoenus_ or _ruficaudus_. Some
buff-bellied chipmunks from Idaho are as large, and possess brain cases
as wide, as specimens from Washington unhesitatingly called
_ruficaudus_, while some white-bellied individuals match _amoenus
luteiventris_ in all other characters. When all the specimens available
from Pend Oreille, Stevens and Ferry counties are separated into
_amoenus_ and _ruficaudus_ and the skulls are examined, it is noticeable
that all the _ruficaudus_ are old, fully adult animals and that most of
the _amoenus_ are younger, showing less wear on the teeth. Perhaps the
buffy underparts are lost with increasing age.
This leads to the suspicion that _ruficaudus_, as applied to chipmunks
in Washington, is a synonym of _amoenus_. Until considerable material is
collected in northeastern Washington, showing individual and age
variation, it seems best to retain the name _ruficaudus_.
Most of the specimens referable to _ruficaudus_ were taken in talus
slides high in the Pend Oreille Mountains. A smaller series was
collected at a lower altitude in open pine forests near Pend Oreille
Lakes, Stevens County. I could detect no difference between _amoenus_
and _ruficaudus_ in habitat or habits.
=Tamias townsendii= Bachman
Townsend chipmunk
_Description._--The Townsend chipmunk is the largest of the chipmunks
that occur in Washington. Head and body measure about 5-1/2 inches; the
tail about 4-1/2 inches. The fur of the Townsend chipmunk is more lax
and less sleek than that of other species. The upper parts are duller
and darker ochraceous. Stripes are wide and not sharply delineated.
The dark stripes are deep chestnut or blackish. The upper pale stripe
is pale buffy gray; the lower is whitish. The tail is blackish frosted
with white above and rich ochraceous below. Underparts are dull white.
The Townsend chipmunk ranges from the Fraser River in southern British
Columbia through western Washington and Oregon, to central California.
Like other members of the Pacific Coastal Fauna which extend southward
to California, its geographic range extends farther inland to the
south and geographic variation is greater; 3 races are listed by
Johnson (1943: 114) in California.
The Townsend chipmunk is the largest and darkest chipmunk in
Washington. Over much of its range it is the only chipmunk found
although in some mountainous areas both _townsendii_ and _amoenus_
occur together. The larger size and richer coloration, especially
the rich tawny color of the underside of the tail, separate Townsend
chipmunks from _amoenus_.
[Illustration: FIG. 82. Townsend chipmunk (_Tamias townsendii
cooperi_), captured on Goat Creek, 3,000 feet, western Cascade
Mountains near Chinook Pass, Washington, September 16, 1940, by
Earl J. Larrison; photographed February 1, 1941. (Fish and Wildlife
Service photo by Victor B. Scheffer, No. 1139.)]
Townsend chipmunks are closely associated with the coniferous forest
where they live in clearings and tangles of underbrush such as on steep
hillsides, fire slashings, snowslide areas or mountain glades. Though
capable of swift movement, they are less nervous and active than other
chipmunks. Rarely are they as abundant, even locally, as other species,
and the home range of an individual seems to be larger than that of an
_amoenus_ or a _minimus_. Rarely are more than two seen in a locality.
Their more sedentary habits make them less conspicuous than other
species. In the fall, when berries are dried out and seeds are ripe,
they are most often seen. The Townsend chipmunk seems to be the most
arboreal species found in Washington and individuals are not uncommonly
seen in trees.
The brushy cover inhabited by Townsend chipmunks protects them from
most hawks while their diurnal habits prevent owls from feeding on
them. Predatory mammals probably constitute their greatest menace. A
weasel (_Mustela frenata_) was seen to follow a Townsend chipmunk into
a pile of timbers near Cottage Lake, King County, and another was seen
carrying a dead Townsend chipmunk at Stevens Pass, King County. Tracks
around an area of blood and fur showed where a mink (_Mustela vison_)
had killed a Townsend chipmunk near Cottage Lake, King County.
[Illustration: FIG. 83. Distribution of the Townsend chipmunk in
Washington. A. _Tamias townsendii townsendii._ B. _Tamias townsendii
cooperi._]
Shaw (1944: 278) discovered the brood nest of a Townsend chipmunk on
Hurricane Ridge, Clallam County, 4,500 feet elevation. The burrow was in
a cool, damp area among surface runs of moles (_Scapanus_), and led to
an underground nest among the roots of a tree. The nest was formed of
the gray, moss-like lichen (_Usnea_), lined within with sedge leaves
(_Carex spectabilis_) and covered outside with leaves of the same sedge.
A turning-about chamber was constructed near the entrance. The burrow
was single and not branched. Three young, only two or three days old,
were in the nest.
=Tamias townsendii townsendii= Bachman
_Tamias townsendii_ Bachman, Jour. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 8
(pt. 1):68, 1839.
_Tamias quadrivittatus townsendii_ Allen, Proc. Boston Soc. Nat.
Hist., 16:290, 1874.
_Tamias asiaticus_ var. _townsendii_ Allen, Monog. N. Amer.
Rodentia, Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv. Terr., 11:794, 1877.
_Eutamias townsendii_ Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington,
11:195, July 1, 1897.
_Type._--Lectotype obtained near the lower mouth of the Willamette
River, Multnomah County, Oregon, by J. K. Townsend in 1834; in
Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.
_Racial Characters._--Color of sides rich tawny; dark stripes
black or dark brown, and pale stripes cinnamon; underside of tail
tawny.
_Measurements._--Fifteen males and 10 females from western
Washington average, respectively: total length 254.7, 258.6;
length of tail 116, 122; hind foot 36.7, 37.1; ear 20.5, 20.4;
weight 72, 81.2 grams.
_Distribution._--The humid coastal belt of western Washington,
from the western base of the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific,
exclusive of the Olympic Mountains. When A. H. Howell revised the
chipmunks in 1929, he employed a concept of a subspecies different
from the writer's own. The locality records listed by Howell
(1929: 109-112) for _Tamias townsendii townsendii_ and _T. t.
cooperi_ are not in agreement with Howell's own distribution map
(_op. cit._: 107). When the localities listed by Howell are
plotted on a map of Washington, the ranges of the two races
overlap in some critical areas. Not all of the material examined
by Howell was seen by the writer, and, consequently, the ranges
shown in Fig. 83 are plotted, in part, on geographic grounds.
Marginal localities on the east, so plotted, for _T. t.
townsendii_, are: Hamilton (U. S. N. M.), 5 mi. E. Monroe (W. W.
D.), Redmond (W. W. D.), Roy (U. S. N. M.), and Vancouver (U. S.
N. M.).
=Tamias townsendii cooperi= Baird
_Tamias cooperi_ Baird, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 7:334,
1855.
_Tamias townsendii_ var. _cooperi_ Baird, Mamm. N. Amer., p. 737,
1857.
_Eutamias cooperi_ Lyon, Smithsonian Misc. Coll., 50:89, June 27,
1907.
_Eutamias townsendii cooperi_ Howell, Jour. Mamm., 3:184, August
4, 1922.
_Type._--Cotypes obtained at Klickitat Pass, 4,500 ft., Skamania
County, Washington, by J. S. Cooper in July, 1853; in United States
National Museum.
_Racial Characters._--Similar to _T. t. townsendii_ but paler with
pale stripes whitish rather than cinnamon.
_Measurements._--Ten males and 10 females from the Cascades
average, respectively: total length 246.4, 246.8; length of tail
111.7, 107.6; hind foot 35, 35.4; ear 20, 20; weight 77, 89.9
grams.
_Distribution._--The higher and eastern Cascade Mountains and the
Olympic Mountains. Marginal localities along the Cascades probably
include: Swamp Creek (U. S. N. M.), Index (W. S. C.), North Bend
(U. S. N. M.), Mt. St. Helens (U. S. N. M.), and Yacolt (M. V.
Z.).
=Marmota monax petrensis= Howell
Woodchuck
_Marmota monax petrensis_ Howell, N. Amer. Fauna, 37:33, April 7,
1915.
_Type._--Obtained at Revelstoke, British Columbia, by W.
Spreadborough on May 12, 1890; type in United States National
Museum.
_Measurements._--Howell (1915: 33) gives the measurements of an
adult male (the type) as: total length 540; length of tail 127;
hind foot 76. An adult female from Barkerville, British Columbia,
measured: total length 505; length of tail 125; and hind foot 68.
_Distribution._--The Pend Oreille Mountains, Pend Oreille County.
The woodchuck was seen and positively identified in northeastern
Washington but no specimens were collected.
_Description._--The woodchuck is the smallest member of the genus
_Marmota_ that occurs in Washington. Adults are about 22 inches in
length, of which the tail comprises 5 inches. The body is stout and
plump. The legs are short. The ears are low and rounded. The eyes are
large but not prominent. The fur is rather stiff but dense. The upper
parts are cinnamon, frosted with white-tipped guard hairs. The
underparts are tawny. There is no white bar across the nose.
Woodchucks occur from Alaska to Idaho and eastward to the Atlantic,
extending southward in the eastern United States. Miller (1924: 173-175)
lists seven subspecies, one of which enters the extreme northeastern
corner of Washington.
The habits of the eastern woodchuck (_Marmota monax rufescens_) have
been studied by Hamilton (1934: 85-178), but the northern races are less
well known. Cowan (1939: 77-79) gives observations on the habits, nests
and burrows of _Marmota monax canadensis_.
=Marmota flaviventris avara= (Bangs)
Yellow-bellied marmot
_Arctomys flaviventer avarus_ Bangs, Proc. New England Zoöl. Club,
1:68, July 31, 1899.
[_Marmota flaviventer_] _avarus_ Trouessart, Catal. Mamm., viv.
foss., suppl., p. 344, 1904.
_Marmota flaviventris avara_ Miller, U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull.,
128:175, April 29, 1924.
_Type._--Obtained at Okanogan, British Columbia, by A. C. Brooks on
July 17, 1897; type in Museum of Comparative Zoölogy.
_Measurements._--A male from 5 miles north of Entiat, Chelan
County, measured: total length 610; length of tail 182; hind foot
70; ear 28.
_Distribution._--From the eastern edge of the Cascade Mountains
eastward, except, apparently, extreme northeastern Washington.
Marginal records are:
Okanogan (W. W. D.) in the north, Wenas (W. W. D.) in the west,
Pasco (M. V. Z.) in the south, and 14 mi. S. W. Pullman (Howell,
1915: 42) in the east.
_Description._--The yellow-bellied marmot is similar to the woodchuck
but is slightly larger. It is decidedly paler in color, less reddish,
but possesses white-tipped hairs on the dorsal surface, as does the
woodchuck. The yellow-bellied marmot also differs from the woodchuck in
having a distinct white bar on the nose. Its pelage is coarse and rather
thin.
The yellow-bellied marmot is typically an animal of the basalt talus of
eastern Washington but occurs in mountainous areas in northeastern
Washington. These animals are usually found near streams, ponds, lakes,
or rivers. They wander considerably, however, and are often found far
from water. Their wandering habits probably account for their presence
near temporary streams and ponds on the Columbian Plateau. When these
temporary sources of water dry up in July or early August, the marmots
go into hibernation. Edson (1935: 68) records a marmot from Bellingham,
Whatcom County, far west of the usual range of the species.
The "ground hog" is often hunted for sport and sometimes for food. Near
centers of human population the yellow-bellied marmots are extremely
shy. Along the highways of the Columbia River on any Sunday in June, it
is not unusual to see a dozen cars in an hour, moving slowly past a
talus slide while eager hunters scan the rocks for marmots. In the late
afternoon, when the marmots leave the protection of the talus slides to
drink at the river, they fall easy prey to rifles with telescope sights.
Near cities in eastern Washington yellow-bellied marmots have become
partially nocturnal.
Couch (1930: 2-6) attempted to excavate several dens of yellow-bellied
marmots, but decided to leave the task "to some future road-building
crew." Embryos found by Couch numbered three to six. Couch thought the
young were born about March 15 in the Snake River area and about April
15 in the upper Okanogan area. The young appear above ground
approximately 30 days after birth.
The yellow-bellied marmots enter aestivation from late June to early
August, depending on the locality and local conditions. They are active
longer in northeastern Washington. Couch records a yellow-bellied marmot
seen in Okanogan County on October 10, but regards this as exceptional.
The marmots near Wenatchee, Chelan County, emerge from their burrows in
early March (March 5 to 10, from reports of residents in 1937, 1938).
Couch (1930: 5) gives February 20 to March 15 as the date of
appearance.
A principal requirement for marmots is the presence of rocks. At Cle
Elum, Kittitas County, I took a marmot from an alfalfa field where a
farmer had placed all the surface stones in a loose pile. Fifteen miles
east of Tonasket, Okanogan County, marmots were living in the stones
piled by road builders to support the ends of a small bridge. A hundred
feet away another marmot was living under an abandoned building. A high,
convenient rock near their burrow serves the yellow-bellied marmots as a
look-out post. These look-out posts seem, in many cases, to have been
used by many generations of marmots, for their feces sometimes fill
nearby crevices to a depth of several feet and cover the look-out rock
itself. The glacial boulders on the plateau between the Okanogan River
and Omak Lake, Okanogan County, furnish the best examples of look-out
posts. These numerous isolated boulders, ten to fifty feet in diameter
and ten to thirty feet high, each seem to furnish shelter to one or more
marmots. Well-worn trails lead from the boulders to burrows and feeding
areas.
The food of the yellow-bellied marmot includes grasses and succulent
plants found in their habitat. Fondness for alfalfa makes them a serious
pest in some areas, for their large size enables them to make
considerable inroads on a field. Natural enemies probably include most
larger predaceous mammals. Hawks and eagles probably kill their young.
Near Tonasket, Okanogan County, Robert Dalquest surprised a coyote as it
ran across a small wash. A shot caused the coyote to drop a half-grown
marmot which it had been carrying.
=Marmota caligata cascadensis= Howell
Hoary marmot
_Marmota caligata cascadensis_ Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington,
27:17, February 2, 1914.
_Type._--Obtained on Mt. Rainier, 6,000 ft., Pierce County,
Washington, by A. K. Fisher on August 11, 1897; type in United
States National Museum.
_Measurements._--A young adult male from Stevens Pass, King
County, measures: total length 773; length of tail 221; hind foot
93; ear 27.
_Distribution._--The Cascade Mountains, ranging from Mt. Baker (W.
W. D.) and Mt. Chopaka (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 15) south to Mt.
Adams (Taylor and Shaw, 1929: 15).
_Description._--The hoary marmot is the largest of the American marmots;
adults are 28 inches or more in length, of which the tail makes up about
8 inches. The pelage is dense and rather woolly. The upper parts are not
frosted with white-tipped hairs, but are gray washed with blackish. The
head is blackish with white facial markings, and the shoulders, legs
and underparts are gray. The tail is dark reddish brown.
Hoary marmots range from Alaska south to Washington and Idaho. Howell
(1915: 57-67) recognizes seven races of this species.
[Illustration: FIG. 84A. Distribution of marmots in Washington. A.
_Marmota monax petrensis._ B. _Marmota flaviventris avara._
C. _Marmota caligata cascadensis._ D. _Marmota olympus._]
This mammal of the higher altitudes rarely goes below the Hudsonian
Life-zone. It is most common in the talus slides at the lower edge of
the Arctic-Alpine Life-zone. Like other marmots, it prefers to live amid
loose boulders. The steep talus or "scab rock" slides in the glacial
cirques provide an ideal habitat. The crevices and caves beneath the
rocks offer concealment for young and adults. A large boulder with a
flat top is usually selected as a look-out. Well-worn trails lead from
the talus slides to nearby grassy slopes. When surprised in the open,
the hoary marmot exhibits a peculiar bounding run, reminiscent of that
of tree squirrels. The short tail "follows through" in the leaps. In the
rock slides the hoary marmot is surprisingly agile.
The clear, shrill whistle of the hoary marmot is familiar to all who
penetrate its haunts. The whistle is remarkably similar to the whistle
of a person. Locally the hoary marmot is known as "whistler" or "whistle
pig." Individuals emerge from hibernation early in June; most adults
retire again by the middle of September. On September 14, 1937, a young
of the year was shot and few were seen where they had been common in
June. All were shy. Only one adult was seen.
Large hawks and eagles commonly hunt over the rock slides inhabited by
marmots, and probably kill very young individuals. Only the larger
predators such as bear, cougar, wolf, coyote, lynx, and bobcat would be
expected to kill an adult hoary marmot.
=Marmota olympus= (Merriam)
Olympic marmot
_Arctomys olympus_ Merriam, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, p.
352, October 4, 1898.
[_Marmota_] _olympus_ Trouessart, Catal. Mamm., viv. foss. suppl.,
p. 344, 1904.
_Type._--Obtained at timber-line, head of Sol Duc River, Clallam
County, Washington, by C. H. Merriam, on August 27, 1897; type in
United States National Museum.
_Measurements._--Two small but adult females from Deer Park,
Clallam County, measure respectively: total length 758, 691;
length of tail 163, 161; hind foot 106, 97; ear 31, 29.
_Distribution._--This species is confined to the Olympic
Mountains.
_Description._--The Olympic marmot closely resembles the hoary marmot,
and differs in being slightly larger, and reddish or rusty brown where
the hoary marmot is gray. It lacks the blackish overwash of the hoary
marmot. The nose is whitish.