Gray-collared chipmunk

The gray-collared chipmunk is a small chipmunk of the mountains of central and eastern Arizona and central and southwest New Mexico in the United States. It is easily recognised by the light and dark stripes on its back and head, with only five dark stripes on the back, and its fur is a mix of gray, black, pale gray and buff. Adults are about 208 to 242 millimetres long including a tail of 90 to 109 millimetres, and weigh 55 to 70 grams. It lives mainly in coniferous forest between about 1,950 and 3,440 metres, and also around rural and suburban homes where it uses rock piles, outbuildings and foundations. It is a mostly solitary, burrowing species that is most active in the early morning and late afternoon, hibernates through the cold months, and feeds mainly on seeds, nuts and berries, storing food in its cheek pouches. Females breed twice a year, bearing two to five young after a gestation of 30 to 31 days. Where it becomes numerous it can damage gardens, foundations and young pine regrowth.