Panamint chipmunk

The Panamint chipmunk, Neotamias panamintinus, is a medium-sized chipmunk of the squirrel family that lives only in desert mountain ranges of southeastern California and southwestern Nevada. It favours rocky slopes, boulders and cliffs in pinyon pine and juniper woodland at roughly 1,300 to 2,700 metres. Adults have a head and body length of about 11 to 12 cm and weigh between 74 and 105 g, with five dark stripes on the back that stand out against a golden or reddish-brown summer coat. It is active by day, feeds mainly on pinyon nuts, juniper berries and other seeds, and scatters seeds that help pinyon woodland regrow. It is prey for hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes and bobcats. The IUCN rates it Least Concern, although woodland loss under climate change could shrink its habitat.