Cliff Chipmunk
Tamias dorsalis
(Eutamias dorsalis)
This individual belongs to a small colony that lives near Wind Cave, Pass Mountain, Usery Mountain Park, Mesa, Arizona.
Cliff Chipmunks are not common in the Sonoran Desert. Chipmunks can be separated from typical squirrels by the stripes on the sides of the face.
Notice the scars on the flank of this chipmunk - they were caused by exiting larvae of Bot Flies (Cuterebridae). By proportion these are among the largest parasites of mammals. The adult flies are large, robust, black in color and can often be found congregated around the summits of low hills.
Sciuridae -- Squirrel Family
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More Information:
- Animal Diversity Web
- ITIS Taxonomic Report
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search
- Reference Book: Mammals of Arizona (1986), D. F. Hoffmeister, Univ. of Arizona Press.