Minnesota Seasons - eastern chipmunk

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Biology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Margot Avey

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed


	Description
	The stripes on the side and back end at the reddish rump.

	Size
	Head and body: 5″ to 6″ Tail: 3″ to 4″

	Sign


	Similar Species
	Least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) is a smaller animal. The middle stripe on the back continues to the base of the tail. The rump is grayish-brown, not reddish-brown. In Minnesota it is found in the Arrowhead and north-central regions only.


	Habitat
	Deciduous forest edges, brushy areas


	Biology
	Behavior


	Lifespan
	2 to 8 years

	Life Cycle


	Food
	Nuts, acorns, seeds, mushrooms, fruits, berries, corn, insects, bird eggs.


	Distribution
			Sources 7, 24, 29, 30.
	7/20/2022

	Occurrence
	Common


	Taxonomy
	Class	Mammalia (mammals)
	Subclass	Theria
	Infraclass	Placentalia (placental mammals)
	Superorder	Euarchontoglires (primates, rodents, and allies)
	Order	Rodentiia (rodents)
	Suborder	Sciuromorpha (squirrels, dormice, and mountain beavers)
	Family	Sciuridae (squirrels)
	Subfamily	Xerinae (ground and African tree squirrels)
	Tribe	Tamiini chipmunks)
	Genus	Tamias

	The genus Tamias contains three extinct species and just a single extant (living) species, Tamias striatus.

	Subordinate Taxa
	Bangs chipmunk (Tamias striatus venustus) common eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus striatus) Door chipmunk (Tamias striatus doorsiensis) eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus pipilans) eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus rufescens) Fisher’s eastern chipmunk, Fisher chipmunk (Tamias striatus fisheri) gray chipmunk (Tamias striatus griseus) Lyster chipmunk (Tamias striatus lysteri) Ohio chipmunk (Tamias striatus ohioensis) Peninsula chipmunk (Tamias striatus peninsulae) Quebec chipmunk (Tamias striatus quebecensis)

	Synonyms


	Common Names
	eastern chipmunk


	Visitor Photos

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	Matt Marlow

	First time seeing one here. Parents have never seen one here. In their late 70’s early 80’s.



	Lynn Rubey

	An Eastern Chipmunk foraging for food along the walking path towards the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County.




	Ramona Abrego






	Dan W. Andree

	Last Spring 2017 while out in some woodlands along a small creek in Norman Co. Mn. I turned around and noticed a chipmunk watching me while it ate American Basswood tree leaves.


	Margot Avey

	I took this photo in Duluth at Hawk Ridge.



	Wayne Rasmussen

	Cascade SP residents include a variety of squirrels. These were captured with a Sony CD1000 digital camera in June of 2001.



	MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera


	Slideshows


	Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk) Allen Chartier




	Tamias striatus (Eastern Chipmunk) John Clare

slideshow


	Visitor Videos

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	Other Videos


	Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) eating viburnum berries colong7034

	About Published on Oct 18, 2013 Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) eating viburnum berries. Chippy devoured almost all the berries on the bush in about 1 hour. I opened the front door a crack, positioned the camera lens in the opening, and hid behind the door to get the shots. At first I thought (s)he was scared by my presence and running away. Then I realized it was stuffed and had to go and empty its chubby cheeks every few minutes! Shot 10/17/13



	Eastern Chipmunk (Sciuridae: Tamias striatus) Eating Boxelder Seeds Carl Barrentine

	About Uploaded on Sep 25, 2009 Photographed at Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (25 September 2009).



	Eastern Chipmunk (Sciuridae: Tamias striatus) Vocalizing Carl Barrentine

	About Uploaded on Aug 19, 2009 Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (18 August 2009).



	Eastern Chipmunk rnd4

	About Uploaded on Aug 16, 2009 Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus) at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.



	Eastern Chipmunk - April 3, 2013 Don Gagnon

	About Published on Apr 3, 2013 Eastern chipmunk (Tamias (Tamias) striatus), Stuffing Cheeks with Cracked Corn and Sunflower Seeds, Wildlife Garden, Gagnon Wildlife Habitat, Wednesday afternoon, April 3, 2013, 2:09 PM - Canon PowerShot SX260 HS MVI_30420; 1:32 min.

Camcorder


Visitor Sightings

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		This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location.



Kylene Olson 7/20/2022	Location: Chippewa County, western Minnesota



Matt Marlow 7/19/2020	Location: Stevens County First time seeing one here. Parents have never seen one here. In their late 70’s early 80’s.



Lynn Rubey	Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge An Eastern Chipmunk foraging for food along the walking path towards the river in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge in Lac qui Parle County.



Dan W. Andree Spring 2017	Location: in some woodlands along a small creek in Norman Co. Mn I turned around and noticed a chipmunk watching me while it ate American Basswood tree leaves.



Margot Avey 10/18/2015	Location: Duluth, MN I took this photo in Duluth at Hawk Ridge.



Ramona Abrego 4/20/2015	Location: Forest Lake



Wayne Rasmussen 6/8/2001	Location: Cascade River State Park Cascade SP residents include a variety of squirrels. These were captured with a Sony CD1000 digital camera in June of 2001.



MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings

Afton State Park Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park Burnsville, MN Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center Carver Park Reserve Cherry Grove Blind Valley SNA Clear Lake SNA Crow Wing State Park Elm Creek Park Reserve Glendalough State Park Great River Bluffs State Park Hyland Lake Park Reserve Interstate State Park Itasca State Park Kilen Woods State Park King’s and Queen’s Bluff SNA Laible Woods Lake Bronson State Park Lake Carlos State Park Lake Louise State Park Lake Rebecca Park Reserve Leif Mountain Mary Schmidt Crawford Woods SNA McCarthy Beach State Park Mille Lacs Moraine SNA Minnesota Valley NWR, Long Meadow Lake Unit Minnesota Valley NWR, Rapids Lake Unit Monson Lake State Park Moose Lake State Park Mound Prairie SNA Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo Prairie Creek Woods SNA Rice Lake Savanna SNA Rice Lake State Park Ritter Farm Park Robert Ney Memorial Park Reserve Rockville County Park St. Croix State Park Savage Fen SNA Seven Springs WMA Tamarack Nature Center William O’Brien State Park Wood-Rill SNA