south of the Trinities, in the vicinity of Yolla Bolly Mountain, where Humboldt, Tehama and Mendocino counties adjoin; and on the Warner Mountains, in eastern Modoc County (Mus. Vert. Zool.). The range of the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel in northern California is probably less continuous than indicated on the map (fig. 24), there being sequestered colonies on detached mountains along with similarly isolated representations of other boreal animals and plants.
Altitudinally, this squirrel extends regularly to above timber-line, where the mountains are high enough for this, and downwards to the lower edge of the chinquapin belt, that is, scarcely as far as the yellow pines or Douglas firs. At the farthest south, in the Mount Whitney region, it has been noted as high as 11,800 feet, while downwards it was not seen below 7,000 feet. In the latitude of Yosemite, the highest point at which it was observed was 10,700 feet, and the lowest, Merced Grove of Big Trees, 5,500 feet. In the Trinity region, the lowest occurrence noted was at 4,500 feet altitude. There is thus a notable lowering of altitudinal limits with increased latitude.
Specimens examined.—A total of 259, from the following localities in California: Modoc County: ten miles northwest of Canby, 1; Sugar Hill, 11; Parker Creek and North Fork Parker Creek, Warner Mts., 9; Warren Peak, Warner Mts., 7; Dry Creek, Warner Mts., 1. Siskiyou County: head of Little Shasta River, northeast base Goose Nest Mt., 2; Mount Shasta, 10; Kangaroo Creek, 1; Wildcat Peak, 3; Jackson Lake, 5; Saloon Creek Divide, 11; Castle Lake, 2; head of Rush Creek, 6; South Fork Salmon River, 8. Trinity County: Bear Creek, 11; North Fork Coffee Creek, 3; head of Grizzly Creek, 5; one-half mile south of South Yolla Bolly Mt., 3. Lassen County: Eagle Lake, 2; Horse Lake, 1. Tehama County: two to four miles south of South Yolla Bolly Mt., 19; Mount Lynn, 2. Plumas County: Mohawk, 1. Sierra County: near Sierraville, 1. Nevada County: Independence Lake, 5. Placer County: Tahoe Valley, 2; Cisco, 13; two miles west of Soda Springs Station, 1. El Dorado County: Mount Tallae, 1. Mono County: Leevining Creek, 1; Walker Lake, 1; Bloody Canyon, 1. Tuolumne County: Ten Lakes, 1; Glen Aulin, 1; Tuolumne Meadows, 4; head of Lyell Canyon, 2; Aspen Valley, 2. Mariposa County: Vogelsang Lake, 1; Porcupine Flat, 3; one mile east of Merced Lake, 1; near Mono Meadows, 2; Mount Clark, 1; Merced Big Trees, 5; East Fork Indian Canyon, 1; Chinquapin, 3. Inyo County: Little Onion Valley, 1; Onion Valley, 4; Hockett Trail (near Carroll Creek), 2; Little Cottonwood Creek, 4; Cottonwood Lakes, 6. Fresno County: Kearsarge Pass, 5; Bullfrog Lake, 8; Bubbs Creek, 1; Horse Corral Meadow, 2. Tulare County: Siberian Pass, 1; west slope Cirque Peak, 1; Whitney Creek, 3; Whitney Meadows, 13; west slope Olancha Peak, 1; Dry Meadows, 1; Monache Meadows, 7; Jackass Meadows, 14; Sirretta Meadows, 3; Cannell Meadows, 5.
Of all our ground squirrels the Golden-mantled is the most brilliantly colored. This rather bookish name for the animal is a translation of the scientific name of the species, chrysodeirus; the more commonplace appellations locally employed, "Copperhead" or "Yellow-headed Chipmunk," serve just as well to set forth the conspicuous feature of coloration. Because of the bright colors and especially the striping of the body (see fig. 20d), this ground squirrel is often called "chipmunk;" but the latter name applies to a quite different group of animals which are slenderly built, agile, with long tails, and more numerous body stripes which involve the head as well as the body.
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is truly a ground squirrel in essential features of appearance and behavior as well as structure. Although it lives for the most part in forested regions, it keeps strictly on the ground when traveling or feeding, and only ascends rocks or logs when seeking a lookout station. The species, including its three subspecies in California, is confined to the higher mountains. One does not meet with it, in climbing the slopes, usually until well through the yellow-pine belt. Individuals begin to appear with the firs, and from there on to the upper limit of timber this species constitutes one of the most conspicuous features of the life of the forest floor. Here
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