As well as a too-cute nano-mammal that I had glimpsed a few times, so knew was there, but was still playing shy and hard to get.
Tamias minimus, the Least Chipmunk.
But, since I had seen roughly where some were living, I figured it just had to be a matter of time, and smelly seeds, before a properly-placed camera did nab one.
2 day short set in pumice rock tumble near wetland
The cautious yet curious approach - "What's that new thing in our territory?"
Bingo! Least Chipmunk, Tamias minimus. The smallest of California's
~ 13 species. The soft gray and yellow-ochre perfectly match the habitat
Just how "least" are they?
A similar short set in pinyon pines also caught a minimus, along with several other small species, thus allowing for a nice size comparison...
Mighty minimus checking out the seeds among the pinyon shreds
Pinyon mouse in nearly the same spot
Kangaroo mouse - bit different ears, huh?
Desert woodrat
Western fence lizard
So, slightly larger than a mouse, not nearly as big as a woodrat, and about as long as a typical blue-belly lizardo. That's pretty minimus.
This micromunk brings us to 20 mammal species confirmed by camera traps for the Mono Basin project this season. A solid start. Wonder what new species 2012 will hold?
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References:
- E. W. Jameson, Jr., and Hans J. Peeters, UCPress - Mammals of California
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Tamias minimus
- Nature of a Man (this blog) - posts on cam trapping the Mono Basin
adorable!
ReplyDelete...such distinct little critters...Thank you for sharing
ReplyDeleteAlright...so...even though saying it is an assault on my "manliness": that pinyon mouse is the cute as heck!
ReplyDeleteNice fence lizard.
Least Chipmunk = cuteness.
ReplyDeletePinyon Mouse = cuteness, squared. The mother of all cuteness. OMG, so cute.
One day I'd like to see just one giant eye staring into the lens.
ReplyDeleteDo you have Abert's squirrel out there? I just saw my first, and I'm smitten.
Y'all have great taste - the pinyon mice are a fave of mine too.
ReplyDeleteMurr - sometimes we do get the big eye - usually from curious bears. You can see some in my posts Double Double Trouble, and The Meek and the Mighty. No, we don't have the terrifically cute Abert's squirrel here in CA. Looks similar to our Douglas squirrel, but with even bigger ears. :)