These chipmunks are important prey to predators in their habitat, especially raptors and snakes.
They’re somewhat territorial and don’t migrate unless they absolutely have to. Gray-footed chipmunks got their name after the gray coloring on their hind feet, while their entire body follows the gray color pattern. Their primary source of food are berries, mushrooms, acorns, and seeds. Aside from insects, this type of chipmunk in Texas doesn’t eat other animals. Mostly found in temperate forests in New Mexico and Texas, this species nests in burrows, but they climb trees only to avoid predators. They spend the year filling their food cache, which they feed on during the winter. Sonoma chipmunks mostly feed on seeds, fruits, insects, and bird eggs. They’re recognizable by their two premolars and five dark stripes on the back. They inhabit forests and sagebrush plains, where they mostly burrow in the ground, only sometimes nesting in the trees. Sonoma ChipmunksĮndemic to California, this species is mostly found in the counties of Sonoma and Marin. Their natural environment is becoming more restricted by the day because of urban expansion. This type of chipmunk in Mexico mostly lives in rocky areas near urban environments. Buller’s ChipmunksĪ species endemic to Mexico, it’s currently considered a vulnerable species because of habitat loss. Their coloring is a combination of grey, red, and white – which allows them to blend in with the forest surroundings. Lodgepole chipmunks rely on their climbing abilities and their camouflage to avoid predators. They’re important in the ecological chain in their habitat, as they’re often preyed on by foxes, coyotes, snakes, birds of prey, and bobcats. Interestingly, females are larger than males in this species, which is unusual in mammals. Lodgepole ChipmunksĪnother type of chipmunk found in California, Lodgepole chipmunks live in an area ranging from the Sierra Nevada in the north to the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California. This type of chipmunk in Washington mostly feeds on seeds, and they do not build up body fat during the year, completely relying on their food cache to make it through the winter. Yellow-pine chipmunks are hoarders, preparing for the winter throughout the entire year. They inhabit the northwest USA, parts of California, and southwest Canada. This chipmunk has a dark base body color with black and white stripes down its back. Since they live so near the Pacific coast where winters are harsh, they can’t afford to be picky eaters. They mostly feed on berries, but also a variety of plants and eggs. Mostly found in western Washington and Oregon, Townsend’s chipmunk is a dominant chipmunk in its habitat, as it’s often the only species of chipmunk in its habitat. They’re also not as arboreal as some other types of chipmunks and they spend most of their time on the ground. Mostly feeding on seeds and grasses, these animals don’t often have the opportunity of feeding on fruits or other animals. They prefer living at altitudes above 8000 feet, sometimes climbing as high as 13000 feet. Alpine ChipmunksĪlthough their population isn’t scarce, alpine chipmunks inhabit a very restricted area of Sierra Nevada in California. In rare instances, they’ll eat insects or animal carcasses, but only if an opportunity arises. Unlike many other chipmunks, they’re not omnivorous and mostly feed on seeds and any fruit they find. They mostly inhabit rocky areas with dense forests, sometimes at high elevations. Uinta chipmunks and all the following species on this list belong to the Neotamias, while eastern and Siberian chipmunks both belong to their respective genera, and they’re both the only species within each genus.Īlso sometimes referred to as ‘hidden forest chipmunks’, Uinta chipmunks are a type of chipmunk in Arizona, but also Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, California, and Colorado. They’ll often cover their burrows with natural materials to hide from predators, such as hawks, snakes, foxes, and bobcats. The base color of their fur is red and they have brown and light stripes on the back.Įastern chipmunks are great climbers, but they’re burrowers by nature, building extensive underground networks. This species is common in eastern, central, and northern USA, as well as southeastern Canada. They’re easily recognizable by their four white stripes on the back. Like other chipmunks, they’re omnivores, mostly feeding on seeds, roots, insects, and small reptiles and birds. This type of chipmunk in Europe is an invasive species, and importing is now forbidden. There are very small populations of these animals in Europe – they were often imported as pets and the owners would release them in the wild after getting tired of them.
They’re common across northern and eastern Asia, usually inhabiting forests and shrubby areas. Siberian chipmunks are the only species of chipmunk to live outside of North America.
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