Searching for the Rockies' small mammals

A yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) greets CU Boulder researchers. (Credit: McCain Lab)
As its name suggests, the least chipmunk (Tamias minimus) is the smallest known chipmunk. (Credit: McCain Lab)
A woodrat (Neotoma sp.) hides under a rock. (Credit: McCain Lab)
A research camp near Yellow Jacket, Colorado. (Credit: McCain Lab)
A CU Boulder field team hides out from the rain. (Credit: McCain Lab)
You can tell golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus lateralis) like this one apart from chipmunks because chipmunks have stripes on their cheeks, while ground squirrels don't. (Credit: McCain Lab)
To survive harsh winters at high elevations, yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) hibernate underground for up to 8 months per year. (Credit: McCain Lab)
Researchers weigh and collect other data on a western jumping mouse (Zapus princeps) before letting it go. (Credit: McCain Lab)