Minnesota Seasons - Eastern Chipmunk

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • 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

Ecology

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. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 12/5/2025). Timm, R. M. 1975. Distribution, natural history, and parasites of mammals of Cook County, Minnesota. Occasional Papers, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota 14:1–56. Hazard, Evan B. 1982. The Mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 280 pp. The counties in light green lack modern records but have historic county or township specimens or records.
12/5/2025





Occurrence
Common

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (Mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Placentalia (Placental Mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Euarchontoglires (Primates, Rodents, and Allies)

Order

Rodentia (Rodents)

Suborder

Sciuromorpha (Squirrels, Dormice, and Mountain Beavers)

Family

Sciuridae (Squirrels)

Subfamily

Xerinae (Ground and African Tree Squirrels)

Tribe

Tamiini (Chipmunks)

Genus

Tamias (Eastern Chipmunks)

Genus

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

Subordinate Taxa

Door chipmunk (Tamias striatus doorsiensis)

eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus pipilans)

Fisher’s eastern chipmunk, Fisher chipmunk (Tamias striatus fisheri)

gray chipmunk (Tamias striatus griseus)

northern chipmunk (Tamias striatus lysteri)

Ohio brown chipmunk (Tamias striatus ohioensis)

Ohio red chipmunk (Tamias striatus rufescens)

Peninsula chipmunk (Tamias striatus peninsulae)

Quebec chipmunk (Tamias striatus quebecensis)

southeastern eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus striatus)

southwestern chipmunk (Tamias striatus venustus)

Synonyms

Sciurus striatus

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.