20 Types of Chipmunks: Species, Identification, and Photos

Chipmunks are charming woodland creatures that exhibit ample diversity throughout their 25 species. Every distinct chipmunk type brings a special blend of looks, adaptations, and behaviors to nature's table. In this post, let's take a closer look at these adorable rodents, from North America's forests to Siberia's alpine regions. 

Taxonomic Classification

The different types of chipmunks fall under the Mammalia class in the taxonomic categorization, specifically within the Rodentia order. Depicted as ground squirrels, they belong to the squirrel family Sciuridae. They are specifically classified in the Marmotini tribe under the Xerinae subfamily.

These small mammals show strong divergence among the three unique and monophyletic lineages, manifesting in notable differences in cranial, postcranial, and genital morphology, cytogenetics, and genetics. You'll find these distinct groups in eastern and western North America and Asia, respectively.

Genetic data reveals that these chipmunk lineages separated early in the Marmotini evolution. Going one step further, comparisons of genetic distances show a remarkable distinctiveness in each lineage, on par or even exceeding that found in different ground squirrel genera.

Hence, given the morphologic, genetic, and chronological coordination with ground squirrel genera, it's clear that the three chipmunk lineages warrant recognition as three distinct genera¹. 

The three genera of chipmunks include Tamias, which has only the eastern chipmunk; Eutamias, which has only the Siberian chipmunk; and Neotamias, which has the 23 remaining species.

Read more: Chipmunk Facts.

20 Types of Chipmunks

Quick links to the different types of chipmunk species:

1. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

The Eastern Chipmunk lives in the woodlands of North America, from Canada to the United States. 

Sporting reddish-brown upper body fur, the chipmunk showcases five dark stripes against its light brown back, leading to a dark tail. The lower body flaunts lighter fur, with a distinct tawny stripe stretching from whiskers to below its ears and brighter stripes adorning the eye area. Interestingly, it has two fewer teeth than other types of chipmunks.

While adept at climbing, Eastern chipmunks spend most of their lives on the ground, building intricate underground nests with many entry points. Not true hibernators, they enter a torpor state during winter, waking up only to eat the stored food.

Mostly active during the day, they forage for seeds, nuts, fruits, mushrooms, insects, worms, and bird eggs. It also disperses seeds while eating, helping in forest regeneration.

Related read: Do Squirrels Hibernate?

2. Siberian Chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus)

The Siberian Chipmunk or Common Chipmunk is native to northern Asia, spanning central Russia, China, Korea, and northern Japan.

Sporting reddish-brown upper body fur, the chipmunk showcases five dark stripes against its light brown back, leading to a dark tail. The lower body flaunts lighter fur, with a distinct tawny stripe stretching from whiskers to below its ears and brighter stripes adorning the eye area. Interestingly, it has two fewer teeth than other types of chipmunks.

The Siberian chipmunk, capable of inhabiting diverse environments, is typically found in conifer-rich areas, forests, agricultural lands, and urban green spaces. 

However, since 2016, this species has been added to the List of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern in Europe, prohibiting its import, breeding, transportation, commercialization, and intentional release.

3. Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus)

The Least Chipmunk is the smallest and most widespread in North America. It has gray, brown, and white fur for camouflage and lives in forests, shrublands, and alpine regions. 

Moreover, these diurnal creatures eat seeds, berries, nuts, and insects. When these western chipmunks exhaust the food supply in a particular area, they mark it with urine, reminding themselves to avoid these depleted zones in the future².

During summer, they climb trees to build temporary nests out of leaves and grass.

4. Yellow Pine Chipmunk (Neotamias amoenus)

The Yellow Pine Chipmunk lives in western Canada and the northwestern United States. It has a unique coat of gray, brown, and black fur with five darker stripes on its back and lighter ones on its sides. 

The chipmunk is active during the day, moving both on land and in trees. It mainly eats seeds, nuts, berries, and insects, which it stores in its cheek pouches for hibernation during winter. 

These chipmunks remain solitary except during the breeding season. Female Yellow Pine Chipmunks give birth to litters of 3-5 offspring in the spring. Unlike most western chipmunk species, Yellow Pine chipmunks sleep through the winter.  

5. Gray-collared Chipmunk (Neotamias cinereicollis)

The Gray-Collared Chipmunk inhabits the southwestern United States. It has a grayish collar around the neck and five alternating dark and light stripes on its back and sides. 

It is an active herbivore, though it occasionally snacks on insects and bird eggs. It stores food in its burrows during winter, protecting them from predators. 

6. Red-Tailed Chipmunk (Neotamias ruficaudus)

The Red-Tailed Chipmunk lives in western North America, from British Columbia to Montana. Moreover, it can survive altitudes ranging from 3,000 to 9,000 feet, seeking shelter in burrows, tree cavities, and under logs and rocks to avoid predators. 

It has a reddish-brown tail and bold stripes on its face and back. It eats seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and even bird eggs, and it practices 'scatter-hoarding' to store food for winter. 

The Red-Tailed Chipmunk is active during the day and only seeks out other chipmunks during mating season. It typically has a brood of 2-7 kits born in early summer.

7. Uinta Chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus)

The Uinta Chipmunk, or hidden forest chipmunk, is a solitary species in the western regions of the United States, particularly in Utah's Uinta Mountains. 

The summer coat of this chipmunk, ranging from yellowish-brown-grey to dark brown, often exhibits a reddish touch. They flaunt three distinct blackish-brown back stripes, sandwiched by paler ones, with a similar pattern on their face. 

Winters see a more greyish coat with less conspicuous stripes. The underparts are pale grey, the ears black, and a uniquely patterned tail with orange and black fur with a paler underside fringe.

8. Cliff Chipmunk (Neotamias dorsalis)

The Cliff Chipmunk lives on the cliffs of the western United States and northern Mexico. It has gray-brown fur, dark stripes on its back and face, and a lighter-colored underside to its bushy tail. 

Cliff chipmunks, named for their nesting preference near cliffs in high-altitude pinyon-juniper woodlands, are found 5,000-12,000 ft above sea level. These diurnal creatures feed on juniper berries, pine seeds, and acorns.

9. Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus)

The Colorado chipmunk inhabits the Rocky Mountains, particularly at elevations between 5,000 and 12,000 feet above sea level. This species typically lives in coniferous forests, scrublands, and meadows in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. 

The chipmunk's pelt predominantly sports an orange hue, complemented by a cinnamon head, grey shoulders, and a cinnamon rump. Its back features three distinct black stripes with yellowish-orange edges. A black-tipped, white-bordered tail with a tawny underside adds to its striking look.

10. Yellow-cheeked Chipmunk (Neotamias ochrogenys)

The Yellow-cheeked chipmunk, often called the redwood chipmunk, calls Northern California home. Residing on the coast, this creature has a restricted distribution.

As the largest members of the Neotamias, they average 9 to 12 inches in length. Five black and four tan bands run along their bodies, while two additional bands ornament their eyes.

Adapting to the changing seasons, their underbellies, cloaked in pale tan or yellowish fur, differ with time and molt stage. They grow a thicker coat in the winter and shed in spring and fall.

A distinctive "chip-chip" call heralds their presence. Varying diets mark the seasons, with fungi being a vital source of nutrition at the beginning of spring.

11. Palmer's Chipmunk (Neotamias palmeri)

Palmer's Chipmunk is a small and agile species endemic to America. It is typically found in the Spring Mountains of Nevada and is named after zoologist Theodore Sherman Palmer. 

This chipmunk species has gray, black, and white fur and stripes running down its back. Unfortunately, since 2008, Palmer's Chipmunk has been endangered due to its limited home range and the threats of urban development and cat predation⁴.

12. Long-eared chipmunk (Neotamias quadrimaculatus)

The Long-Eared Chipmunk lives in the Sierra Nevada. It exhibits a striking red-brown hue, punctuated with five dark and four light back stripes. Large white patches near each long, slender ear contribute to their distinctive appearance.

It is diurnal, hibernating from October to March, but may be active given favorable conditions. Its diet comprises mainly fungi, seeds, berries, fruits, and conifer cones.

13. Alpine Chipmunk (Neotamias alpinus)

The Alpine Chipmunk is a small creature living in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, reaching heights up to 12,800 feet. 

This relatively small chipmunk possesses a yellowish-gray hue, with light stripes aiding in camouflage among gray rocks. Its side stripes are reddish or brownish, never black, except for the dark central stripe on its back. Furthermore, a vivid orange cloak adorns its belly. 

14. Lodgepole Chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus)

The Lodgepole chipmunk inhabits the high ranges of California's Sierra Nevada to Nevada's Lake Tahoe region. This species favors subalpine mixed conifer forests with elevations up to 10,800 feet.

The species has dark, broad facial stripes compared to relatives, along with black dorsal stripes and bright orange sides. Their underbelly and rump are gray, while the crown houses a blend of brown and gray. The tail features a black tip against a cinnamon body.

15. Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)

Merriam's Chipmunk lives in Southern California's San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains. Moreover, its preferred locations are rocky landscapes and shrublands, which offer food and shelter from predators. 

It exhibits a grayish-brown coat adorned with evenly spaced dark stripes. Its belly and cheeks showcase a contrast of white. A long, bushy tail with a hint of white completes its appearance.

16. Sonoma Chipmunk (Neotamias sonomae)

The Sonoma Chipmunk lives in the green areas of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties. 

It displays five black and four grey or brownish stripes. Unlike other Western American chipmunks, its stripes are not distinctly defined, aiding camouflage. 

The upper parts feature a reddish-brown hue, except behind each eye. Its sides are rusty, its underparts creamy white, and its bushy tail matches the body. 

17. Siskiyou Chipmunk (Neotamias siskiyou)

The Siskiyou Chipmunk is in the Pacific Northwest region, particularly the Siskiyou Mountains. It inhabits maritime climates, thriving in mature, logged forests and preferring landscapes dense with conifers for shelter and nesting.

The coastal subspecies, identified by its darker color and lighter stripes, have unique gray patches behind their ears. In contrast, the inland variant is light brown but has a dark patch behind the eyes and a smoky rump.

They consume seeds, berries, fungi, insects, and bird eggs. Moreover, they create food caches to survive the winter months. 

18. Townsend's Chipmunk (Neotmias townsendii)

Townsend's Chipmunk is a larger version of the average chipmunk in the Pacific Northwest. However, they only live in the extreme southwestern corner of British Columbia.

These chipmunks boast brown, striped backs with five dark alternates and four light stripes. Their faces feature two gray and three brown stripes. Typically, they have cream to gray underparts, black-fronted, gray-backed ears, and bushy tails. Their appearance is usually brighter in summer.

19. Durango Chipmunk (Neotamias durangae)

The Durango Chipmunk lives in Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental region, primarily in Durango and Sinaloa. It has a grayish-brown fur coat with five dark stripes; it measures nine inches tall. 

This species thrives in dry climates with regular summer rain and occasional snow. It is also found amid different forest types, primarily surviving on pine nuts and green oak.

20. Buller's Chipmunk (Neotamias bulleri)

Buller's Chipmunk is another native species from Mexico’s Sierra Madre. It is named after William Buller, a well-known British naturalist.

Since 2008, the Buller's Chipmunk has been listed as Vulnerable due to its severely fragmented distribution and ongoing habitat decline³. It inhabits high-elevation pine forests and scrubs and faces threats from extensive habitat loss caused by widespread timber extraction.