John A. White

Introduction The supraspecific categories of the chipmunks, as in most other groups of squirrels, have been a source of controversy for many years. Before presenting new evidence and a review of older evidence bearing on the problem, it seems desirable to review briefly in chronological order, the taxonomic history of the genera and subgenera of the chipmunks. Linnaeus (1758:64) described the eastern... more...

Capitalized color terms in the following accounts are of Ridgway, "Color Standards and Color Nomenclature," Washington, D.C., 1912. The measurements of the skull that were used in this study were made as shown in White (1953:566, fig. 1). These are: Greatest length of skull, zygomatic breadth, cranial breadth, length of nasals, length of lower tooth-row, condylo-alveolar length of mandible, and... more...

The differences in anatomy and color between many species of chipmunks are subtle, and refined techniques are required to discover them. When "measuring" chipmunks taxonomically, it is necessary to use a "chipmunk scale" and not, for example, a "pocket-gopher scale." In explanation, some species of pocket gophers closely allied to each other, and even some subspecies of the same... more...

Introduction The baculum is the bony part of the penis. In the species of the subgenus Neotamias the proximal part of the baculum is termed the shaft, and the distal upturned part is termed the tip. On the dorsal side of the tip there is a longitudinal ridge termed the keel. The proximal end of the shaft is termed the base (see fig. 19). Depending on the species, the shaft varies from 2.11 to 5.28 mm.... more...