{{Short description|Species of mammal}} {{course assignment | course = Education Program:Louisiana State University/HNRS 1035 Natural Disturbances & Society (Spring 2014) | term = 2013 Q3 }} {{Speciesbox | image = Streifenhoernchen.jpg | image_caption = On the mountain of [[Seoraksan]], [[South Korea]] | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |title=''Eutamias sibiricus'' |errata=2017 |author=Tsytsulina, K. |author2=Formozov, N. |author3=Shar, S. |author4=Lkhagvasuren, D. |author5=Sheftel, B. |name-list-style=amp |year=2016 |article-number=e.T21360A115161465 |access-date=19 April 2021}}</ref> | genus = Eutamias | species = sibiricus | authority = ([[Erik Laxmann|Laxmann]], 1769) | synonyms = ''Tamias sibiricus'' (<small>Laxmann, 1769</small>) | subdivision_ranks = Subspecies | subdivision_ref = <ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Sciuridae |id=12401207 |page=754–818 |heading=Species ''Tamias'' (''Eutamias'') ''sibiricus''}}</ref> | subdivision = * ''E. s. sibiricus'' * ''E. s. asiaticus'' * ''E. s. lineatus'' * ''E. s. okadae'' * ''E. s. ordinalis'' * ''E. s. orientalis'' * ''E. s. pallasi'' * ''E. s. senescens'' * ''E. s. umbrosus'' | range_map = Siberian Chipmunk Tamias sibiricus distribution map.png | range_map_caption = Siberian chipmunk range.<ref name=iucn/> }}
The '''Siberian chipmunk''' ('''''Eutamias sibiricus'''''), also called '''common chipmunk''', is a species of [[chipmunk]] native to northern Asia from central Russia to China, Korea, and [[Hokkaidō]] in northern Japan.<ref name=iucn/> It was imported from South Korea and introduced in Europe as a pet in the 1960s.
==Description== [[File:Tamias sibiricus (head).JPG|thumb|Close-up of head]] Typically the Siberian chipmunk has four white stripes and five dark stripes along the back. It is {{cvt|18|–|25|cm}} long, a third of which is the tail. The weight of adults depends on the time of year and food availability.<ref name=EOL!!>{{cite web|title=''Tamias sibericus''|url=http://eol.org/pages/313026/details|publisher=Encyclopedia of Life|access-date=February 27, 2014}}</ref> It exhibits slight variations in coloration in different geographic regions.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium">{{cite journal |url=https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/62788 |title=''Tamias sibiricus'' (Siberian chipmunk)|journal=[[Invasive Species Compendium]] |date=2022 | publisher=Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux |doi=10.1079/cabicompendium.62788 |access-date=20 February 2014 |last1=Chapuis |first1=Jean-Louis |last2=Obolenskaya |first2=Ekaterina |last3=Pisanu |first3=Benoit |last4=Lissovsky |first4=Andrey |volume=CABI Compendium |doi-access=free }}</ref> Even though the Siberian chipmunk normally grows to {{cvt|50|-|150|g}}.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY">{{cite web|last=Haberland|first=K|title=''Tamias sibiricus''|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Tamias_sibiricus/|publisher=Animal Diversity Web|access-date=9 April 2014}}</ref> The Siberian chipmunk does not exhibit [[sexual dimorphism]], and size and body proportions are the only way to distinguish younger chipmunks from older ones.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium"/> Its small size may contribute to its relatively short life from two to five years in the wild. However, in [[captivity (animal)|captivity]] it lives up to ten years.<ref name=EOL!! />
==Distribution== The only species of chipmunk found outside North America,<ref name=Patterson2015>{{cite journal |last1= Patterson |first1= B.D. |last2= Norris |first2= R.W. |date= May 2015 |title= Towards a uniform nomenclature for ground squirrels: the status of the Holarctic chipmunks |journal= Mammalia |volume= 80 |issue= 3 |pages= 241–251 |doi= 10.1515/mammalia-2015-0004}}</ref> the Siberian chipmunk is native to Russia in northern European, [[Siberia]] to [[Sakhalin]] and [[Kunashir]], extreme eastern Kazakhstan, northern Mongolia, northern and central China, Korea, and in Japan in [[Hokkaido]], [[Iturup]], [[Rishiri Island|Rishiri]], [[Rebun Island|Rebun]], [[Teuri]], and [[Yagishiri]]. It has been introduced at one confirmed locality, [[Karuizawa]], on [[Honshu]].<ref name=iucn/>
During the 1960s, South Korea began to export these animals to Europe as pets.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> Between 1960 and 1980, South Korea exported more than 200,000 individuals to Europe.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" />
In the 1970s there were sightings in parks in Europe, and a number of small populations have become resident in suburban forests and urban parks in Belgium, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Great Britain.<ref name=NNSS/><ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> This is mostly caused by owners releasing these animals because they no longer wanted them as pets, or the owners purposefully freed the chipmunks to live naturally in the wild.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> Other Siberian chipmunks escaped from [[Captivity (animal)|captivity]] and inhabited the forested areas of Europe.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> The Dutch chipmunks for example are escapees from a former zoo in [[Tilburg]]. When the zoo was shut down and all animals were moved away, many chipmunks got forgotten due to their underground residence. While thousands of animals were introduced to new environments, they are not very [[Invasive species|invasive]] and are naturally slow spreading, {{convert|200|to|250|m}} per year, which prevented them from rapidly moving to areas far beyond where they escaped.<ref name=NNSS /> In 2009, 22 [[introduced species|introduced]] populations in Europe, and 11 in France, were identified in forests and urban parks since the 1970s (not all may still be extant).<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium"/>
== Invasiveness == In Europe, the Siberian chipmunk is included since 2016 in the [[List of invasive alien species of Union concern|list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern]] (the Union list).<ref>{{Cite web|title=List of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern - Environment - European Commission|url=https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/invasivealien/list/index_en.htm|access-date=2021-07-27|website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> This mandates that the species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web|title=REGULATION (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European parliament and of the council of 22 October 2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species|url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014R1143&from=EN}}</ref>
==Habitat== [[File:Tamias sibiricus near Lake Kuyguk.jpg|thumb|''Eutamias sibiricus'' near Lake Kuyguk]]
The Siberian chipmunk can survive in a variety of [[habitats]] and conditions.<ref name=EOL!! /> They are usually found in [[coniferous forests]], stony areas within forests and mountains, habitats filled with shrub, along waterways or roads, or other small patches of agricultural land.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> In Europe, the introduced populations usually live in [[deciduous forests]], mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, or urban areas with greenery.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> ''Eutamias sibiricus'' is able to survive in various environmental conditions, anywhere from 29°N to 69°N latitude, and temperatures from −65 °C to 30 °C. However, this species has a low ability of dispersal, and since they are mainly introduced into woody forests or urban areas with greenery, they have less potential to be naturally dispersed to other regions. Also they have trouble overcoming man-made and naturally occurring obstacles, like roads or [[swamps]].<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" />
The Siberian chipmunk lives in loose colonies, where every individual has its own [[Territory (animal)|territory]].<ref name=macdonald /> The territory ranges from 700 to 4000 m<sup>2</sup> and is larger for females than males and is also larger in autumn than spring.<ref name=EOL!! /> The Siberian chipmunk [[urine marking|marks its territory with urine]] and oral glands inside of its cheeks.<ref name=EOL!! /> This method illustrates one way in which this species communicates with one another.<ref name= macdonald>{{cite book | last = MacDonald | first = David| author2= Priscilla Barret |title = Mammals of Britain & Europe |volume= 1| year = 1993| publisher = HarperCollins |location = London | isbn =0-00-219779-0| page = 230 }}</ref>
==Behaviour==
Siberian chipmunks usually live solitary lives, but during the winter they create a [[burrow]], which they often share with another chipmunk.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name=macdonald /> Its burrow, which can be {{cvt|2.5|m}} long and {{cvt|1.5|m}} deep, consists of a nest chamber, several storage chambers and chambers for the waste.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="macdonald"/> During this winter season, these chipmunks store {{cvt|3|–|4|kg}} of food in order to survive underground until April or May.<ref name=Saddington /> In addition to pairing off during hibernation, they also use a complex voice communication system to interact.<ref name=Saddington /> They have two vocal sounds, a fast, sharp sound for when they are frightened and a deep croak sound that is thought to be used for mating.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /><ref name=Saddington />
Chipmunks with more active and curious behaviour, based on trappability of marked individuals, have a greater number of ticks.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Chapuis|first1=Jean-Louis |last2=Boyer |first2=Réale |last3=Marmet |first3=Pisanu|title=Personality, space use and tick load in an introduced population of Siberian chipmunks ''Tamias sibiricus''|journal=Journal of Animal Ecology|date=May 2010|volume=79|issue=3|pages=538–547|doi=10.1111/j.1365-2656.2010.01659.x|pmid=20202009|doi-access=|bibcode=2010JAnEc..79..538B }}</ref>
===Reproduction===
It is known that they are [[iteroparous]], [[viviparous]], and their breeding season usually occurs after hibernation in mid April.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> They tend to breed only once or twice a year, and the number of offspring varies from three to eight.<ref name=Saddington>{{cite journal|last=Saddington|first=G|title=Notes on the Breeding of the Siberian Chipmunk in Captivity|journal=International Zoo Yearbook|date=April 3, 2009|volume=6|issue=1|pages=165–166|url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/vsample?PISSN=0074-9664&path_ok=/journal/117997665/home|access-date=4 March 2014|doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1966.tb01736.x|url-access=subscription}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> The young are born blind and naked, and they weigh between {{cvt|3|–|5|g}}.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> After the 28- to 35-day [[gestation period]], the offspring open their eyes about 20 to 25 days after birth.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /> The females are responsible for caring for the young, and they teach them how to [[forage]] around six weeks.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> Then the offspring complete the [[weaning]] stage around seven weeks, and they reach the independent stage around eight weeks.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> Adult body mass is reached at around three to four months, and by nine months, both the male and the female reach sexual maturity.<ref name="Invasive Species Compendium" /><ref name=Saddington />
===Diet=== [[File:Chipmunk bread.jpg|thumb|A Siberian chipmunk eating bread]] [[File:Tamias sibiricus (eating a4).JPG|thumb|A chipmunk eating a nut, photographed in [[Mount Oike]], [[Higashiomi]], [[Shiga prefecture]], Japan.]] Siberian chipmunks are [[omnivores]] that store or cache food.<ref name=EOL!! /><ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> Normally, they eat pine seeds, along with different deciduous and coniferous tree seeds.<ref name=EOL!! /> In addition to seeds, they eat herb roots, insects, molluscs, birds, reptiles, grains, fruit, and fungus.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" />
==Ecology== Siberian chipmunks are essential food sources for other animals, such as diurnal raptors, [[weasel]]s, and small [[cat]]s.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> Other known predators include [[hawk]]s, [[owl]]s, and [[fox]]es.<ref name=NNSS /> They evade being preyed upon by these animals by being alert, hiding in their burrows, and using their camouflaged fur to blend in with surroundings. They distribute seeds and fungal [[spore]]s, and other animals feed off their stored food. They may help control forest tree pests.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> In Russia, they eat approximately 50 percent of the forest nuts. In Belgium, these chipmunks have been blamed for preying upon low-nesting birds.<ref name=NNSS/> [[File:Burunduk fur-skins.jpg|thumb|Chipmunk fur-skins]]
If the species were introduced to Britain, it is possible that Siberian chipmunks may compete with other small animals, such as the [[red squirrel]], [[wood mouse]], and [[bank vole]].<ref name=NNSS/>
==Relationship to humans== Some people keep Siberian chipmunks as pets or sell them for their fur or other body parts. Siberian chipmunks may eat crops and damage gardens.<ref name="ANIMAL DIVERSITY" /> In Russia they can cause serious economic damage to grain fields and orchards.<ref name=NNSS>{{cite web|title=Siberian chipmunk, ''Tamias sibiricus'', section 'Impact'|url=https://www.nonnativespecies.org/non-native-species/information-portal/view/3472|publisher=Great Britain Non-Native Species Secretariat|date=3 October 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Journal.pone.0055377.g001.png|thumb|left|Estimated contribution to Lyme disease comparison chart]] The species can carry [[Lyme disease]], caused by the bacteria ''[[Borrelia burgdorferi]]'', that can be transmitted through ticks. In a study in a park near Paris where the Siberian chipmunk had established itself, in comparison to bank voles and [[wood mice]], the Siberian chipmunks had a much higher infection load than their native counterparts. Because they were more diseased, it was theorised that they contributed to more infected questing nymph ticks, thus potentially exposing humans to greater risk.<ref name=PLOS>{{cite journal|last=Marsot|first=Maud|author2=Chapuis, Jean- Louis|title=Introduced Siberian Chipmunks (''Tamias sibiricus barberi'') Contribute More to Lyme Borreliosis Risk than Native Reservoir Rodents|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|article-number=e55377|date=January 31, 2013|issue=1|doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0055377 |pmid=23383170|display-authors=etal|pmc=3561227|bibcode=2013PLoSO...855377M|doi-access=free}}</ref> {{Clear}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Tamias sibiricus}} {{Wikispecies|Eutamias sibiricus}} *[http://www.borealforest.org/world/mammals/siberian_chipmunk.htm Boreal Forest Mammals: Siberian Chipmunk] *''[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/3229344/Paris-battles-invasion-of-Siberian-chipmunk.html Invasion of Siberian chipmunk in Paris]'' *''[http://www.sandsexoticanimals.com/care/siberian_chipmunk.html Siberian Chipmunk Exotic Care]''
{{S. Xerinae1 nav}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q24662784|from2=Q329187}}
[[Category:Chipmunks]] [[Category:Mammals of Asia]] [[Category:Fauna of Siberia]] [[Category:Mammals of Russia]] [[Category:Rodents of China]] [[Category:Mammals of Japan]] [[Category:Mammals described in 1769]] [[Category:Taxa named by Erik Laxmann]]