When chipmunks are present in large numbers they can cause structural damage by burrowing under patios, stairs, retention walls or foundations. Young will leave the burrow at six to eight weeks of age.Ĭhipmunks are considered minor agricultural pests throughout North America. A second litter is occasionally produced in the fall.Ĭhipmunk pups appear above ground when they are four to six weeks old - 2/3 the size of an adult. Least chipmunks produce 1 litter of two to seven young in May or June. Adults may live up to 3 years.Īdult least chipmunks mate over a period of four to six weeks from April–mid-July. The young are sexually mature within 1 year. There is a 31-day gestation period and two to five young are born in April–May and again in August–October. Some become active on warm, sunny days during the winter and most chipmunks emerge from hibernation in early March.Įastern chipmunks mate two times a year, during early spring and again during the summer or early fall. They do not enter a deep hibernation but rely on the cache of food they have brought to their burrow. The home range of a chipmunk may be up to 1/2 acre (0.2 ha), but the adult only defends a territory about 50 feet (15.2 m) around the burrow entrance.Ĭhipmunks are most active during the early morning and late afternoon.Ĭhipmunks enter a restless hibernation as winter approaches and are relatively inactive from late fall through winter months. The least chipmunk inhabits low sagebrush deserts, high mountain coniferous forests, and northern mixed hardwood forests.Ĭhipmunks are generally solitary except during courtship or when rearing young. The chipmunk carries the dirt in its cheek pouches and scatters it away from the burrow, making the burrow entrance less conspicuous.Įastern chipmunks typically inhabit mature woodlands and woodlot edges, but they also inhabit areas in and around suburban and rural homes. The burrow entrance is usually about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. The least chipmunk’s range includes most of Canada, the United States Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin and parts of the upper Midwest.Ĭhipmonks often create burrows in well-hidden areas near objects or buildings. The eastern chipmunk’s range includes most of the eastern United States. The stripes, however, continue to the base of the tail on all least chipmunks. The color varies from a faint yellowish gray with tawny dark stripes (Badlands, South Dakota) to a grayish tawny brown with black stripes (Wisconsin and Michigan). It is typically 3 2/3 to 4 1/2 inches (9 to 11 cm) long and weighs 1 to 2 ounces (35 to 70 g). The least chipmunk is the smallest of the chipmunks. The tail is 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long and hairy, but it is not bushy. The longitudinal stripes end at the reddish rump. It has two tan and five blackish longitudinal stripes on its back, and two tan and two brownish stripes on each side of its face.
It is typically 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) long and weighs about 3 ounces (90 g). The eastern chipmunk is a small, brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel.
Behavior and damage is similar among all species of native chipmunks, so damage control recommendations are similar for all species. The eastern chipmunk ( Tamias striatus) and the least chipmunk ( Eutamias minimas) are the two most widely distributed and notable species. The cliff chipmunk ( Neotamias dorsalis) is more gray overall, with less prominent stripes on its back.Fifteen species of native chipmunks of the genus Eutamias and one of the genus Tamias are found in North America. The least chipmunk ( Neotamias minimus) is so named because it is the smallest chipmunk in North America, and can be identified by the narrower dark stripes on its back. In contrast, the least and the cliff chipmunks swing their tails from side to side as they scurry away. Occasionally visitors in this area will get a brief look at the Uinta chipmunk as it approaches searching for food, and then, as it scurries away with its tail straight up in the air. The Uinta chipmunk prefers wide, open spaces in Zion, such as the broad, open saddle called Scout Lookout on the way to Angels Landing. It has wide, brown to dark brown stripes, alternating with white stripes, down its back the outermost stripes are generally white or a muted brown. One of the more common chipmunks in the area is the Uinta ( Neotamias umbrinus). Three different species of chipmunks live within Zion National Park: Uinta, least, and cliff. Chipmunks are easily identified by their tiny size and pattern of stripes running down their head and back.
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