Life history and activity of the Peñasco least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus atristriatus).

Technical Report Submitted to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Share with Wildlife Program.
28 Seiten, 10 Tabellen, 7 Grafiken.

Aus der Einleitung:

The Peñasco least chipmunk is a Pleistocene relic left on a “sky island” following the last glacial retreat. The least chipmunk is a high elevation, cold-adapted, montane species and so the Sacramento Mountains provide a mountaintop refugium in the hot and arid Southwest. A warming climate will force cold-adapted species to move up-slope, effectively shrinking the area of available habitat. Species that undergo hibernation or winter torpor, such as the Peñasco least chipmunk, may be particularly vulnerable to changes in climate and weather patterns. In the face of anthropogenic climate change, it is critical to understand how the life history characteristics of the Peñasco least chipmunk (i.e., emergence, immergence, reproduction, activity) are influenced by, and dependent on, weather and climate. A better understanding of the interaction between climate and life history will help focus management and conservation strategies. Our goal was to address important information gaps regarding the life history of the Peñasco least chipmunk that are crucial for making sound conservation and management decisions.

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