Craters of the Moon Chipmunk (Neotamias cratericus) - New species endemic to southeastern Idaho, specifically the lava fields of Craters of the Moon National Park and surrounding areas. There is little available literature currently and most publications still keep it as a subspecies of Least Chipmunk. I will treat it as its own species for this gallery.

The Yellow-pine Chipmunk (Neotamias amoenus) is a species of order Rodentia in the family Sciuridae. It is found in western North America: parts of Canada and the United States.

These chipmunks are normally found in brush-covered areas, and in California, they inhabit an elevation range of around 975 to 2,900 meters.

Their body color is dark and reddish, mixed with cinnamon, with five longitudinal dark (black or mixed black) stripes that are separated by four lighter stripes. The outer pair of pale stripes is creamy white and narrower, and the more median pair is a gray or smoke gray. The sides of the head each have three dark stripes, with two lighter in between, and the crown is black or smoke gray.

Males and females have similar brain size and roughly the same tail length, ear length from notch, and length of lower tooth row, but females are larger in other body measurements; average body mass varies, with large males weighing an average of 49.7 g and large females averaging 53.5 g. Though male-biased size sexual dimorphism is common among mammals, N. amoenus exhibits female-biased dimorphism.

In some areas, where range overlap with the least chipmunk or red-tailed chipmunk occurs, it may be difficult or impossible to distinguish the species in the field; laboratory examination of skeletal structures may be required

Yellow Pine Chipmunk (Neotamias amoenus) - Grand Tetons, Wyoming

The Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) is the smallest species of chipmunk and the most widespread in North America.

It is the smallest species of chipmunk, measuring about 15.7–25 cm (6.2–9.8 in) in total length with a weight of 25–66 g (0.88–2.33 oz). The body is gray to reddish-brown on the sides, and grayish white on the underparts. The back is marked with five dark brown to black stripes separated by four white or cream-colored stripes, all of which run from the nape of the neck to the base of the tail. Two light and two dark stripes mark the face, running from the tip of the nose to the ears. The bushy tail is orange-brown in color, and measures 10–11 cm (3.9–4.3 in) long.[4] In some areas, where range overlap with the yellow-pine chipmunk occurs, it may be difficult or impossible to distinguish the two species in the field; laboratory examination of skeletal structures may be required.

As in other chipmunks, there are four toes on each of the forefeet and five on the hindfeet. Females have eight teats. The brain to body mass ratio for least chipmunks is lower than that for other species of chipmunk living in the same area, suggesting that they prefer less complex environments.

Least chipmunks are found through most of the western United States from northern New Mexico and western North and South Dakota to eastern California, Oregon and Washington, and throughout much of southern and western Canada from Yukon and southeastern British Columbia to central Ontario, and into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and neighboring parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Throughout this range, as many as 21 subspecies have been identified. Less arboreal than other chipmunks,[4] least chipmunks are commonly found in sagebrush habitats and coniferous woodland, and along rivers, but they also occur in alpine meadows, and on the edges of the northern tundra.

The following galleries are of some of the many subspecies of Least Chipmunk. All identifications come from the maps in Encyclopedia of Life (EOL).

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus consobrinus) – Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon

Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus borealis) - Black Hills South Dakota, Custer State Park (scanned slides from older trip)

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus pictus)-Mono Lake, California

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus operarius) -Colorado, Rocky Mountains National Park, southern Wyoming

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus scrutator) - Mammoth Lakes California, east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus minimus) - Fossil Buttes National Monument, Southwestern Wyoming

The Uinta Chipmunk or Hidden Forest Chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus), is a species of chipmunk in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to the United States. Formerly known as Tamias umbrinus, phylogenetic studies have shown it to be sufficiently distinct from the eastern chipmunk as to be placed in a separate genus, Neotamias. The same studies have also suggested that Palmer's chipmunk may actually be a subspecies of Uinta chipmunk, although the two are still generally regarded as separate species.

The Uinta chipmunk is a medium-sized chipmunk, with adults ranging from 20 to 24 cm (7.9 to 9.4 in) in length, including the tail at 7 to 11 cm (2.8 to 4.3 in), and weighing an average of 67 g (2.4 oz). The predominant color of the summer coat varies from yellowish brown-grey to dark brown, often with a reddish tinge. Three wide, distinct dark blackish-brown stripes run down the back, separated and surrounded by four paler stripes of pale grey to white fur. Also, three dark and three pale stripes are on each side of the face. In the winter, the coat becomes duller and more greyish, and the stripes become less distinct. The ears are black, and the underparts a very pale grey. The tail has orange and black fur, with a paler fringe of hair on the underside.

The Uinta chipmunk lives in montane and subalpine forests of the western United States, between 1,400 and 3,650 m (4,590 and 11,980 ft) elevation. It is most common at the margins of pine and fir forests, or in clearings, often near rocky terrain or steep slopes. Uinta chipmunks do not have a continuous, unbroken range, but are instead found in a number of disjunct localities, perhaps reflecting changing patterns of forest cover during the Pleistocene. Seven subspecies are currently recognized:

• N. u. adsitus - southern Utah and northern Arizona

• N. u. inyoensis - central Nevada and eastern California

• N. u. fremonti - western Wyoming

• N. u. montanus - western Colorado (see the below gallery)

• N. u. nevadensis - southern Nevada

• N. u. sedulus - southeastern Utah (see the below gallery)

• N. u. umbrinus - northern Utah

Uinta Chipmunk (Neotamias umbrinus) -Wyoming, Colorado & Utah

The Cliff Chipmunk (Neotamias dorsalis) is a small, bushy-tailed squirrel that typically lives along cliff walls or boulder fields bordering Pinyon-juniper woodlands in the Western United States and Mexico (commonly spotted in northern Arizona to Colorado). Cliff chipmunks are very agile, and can often be seen scaling steep cliff walls. Cliff chipmunks do not amass body fat as the more common ground squirrel does. They create a "stash" of food which they frequent during the cold winter months. The chipmunks' size varies from 8 to 10 inches, and they weigh an average of 2.5 oz. These small creatures live to a staggering 12+1⁄2 years. The chipmunks are brown on their underside and gray on the back, with white stripes on their face.

The cliff chipmunk nests near cliffs in pinyon-juniper woodlands hence its name "cliff chipmunk". They are found at higher altitudes such as 5,000–12,000 ft above sea level. A common destination for spotting the cliff chipmunk is the cliffs of the Grand Canyon. The cliff chipmunk is active mostly during the day, therefore easy to spot. The chipmunk's diet consists of juniper berries, pine seeds, and acorns.

Cliff Chipmunk (Neotamias dorsalis) - Southeast Arizona, Cave Creek Canyon and Ranch

The Gray-collared Chipmunk (Neotamias cinereicollis) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.

The gray-collared chipmunk grows to a total length of about 225 mm (9 in) including a tail of around 98 mm (4 in). The forehead is greyish-brown and the side of the head bears three dark stripes, the central one of which passes through the eye. These are separated by bands of white. The cheeks, neck, shoulders, upper back and rump are grey. The rest of the upper surface of the body is yellowish-brown with five black or dark brown stripes on the back and sides, though the outer pair of stripes may be difficult to distinguish. The underparts are pale yellowish-brown. The tail is black above and creamy-white below, both surfaces being tinged with buff. The feet are pinkish-buff. The gray face and collar distinguishes this species from others in the genus Neotamias.

The gray-collared chipmunk inhabits mountain coniferous forests in central and eastern Arizona and in central and western New Mexico. Its range extends from the Bill Williams Mountains, San Francisco Mountains and White Mountains to the Datil Mountains, Magdalena Mountains and San Mateo Mountains. Its altitudinal range is 1,950 to 3,440 metres (6,400 to 11,290 ft) but it is primarily found between 2,100 and 3,300 metres (6,900 and 10,800 ft). The gray-collared chipmunk is found in ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests, often up to the timberline. It is commonest where pine and Douglas fir intermix, and is also found in oak juniper forest.

Gray-collared Chipmunk (Neotamias cinereicollis) - Flagstaff Arboretum, Arizona

The Hopi Chipmunk, Neotamias rufus, is a small chipmunk found in Colorado, Utah and Arizona in the southwestern United States. It was previously grouped with the Colorado chipmunk, T. quadrivittatus. This species is listed as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List as it is common, widespread, and without any major threats. It was last evaluated in 2016.

This species is distinguished by somewhat smaller size and a dorsal pelage that generally lacks significant amounts of black in the stripes, resulting in a more orange red to buff pelage. Measurements are: total length 190–235 mm;[2] length of tail 83–95 mm; length of hindfoot 31–35 mm; length of ear 15–22 mm; weight 52–62 g. Females are slightly larger than males.

Hopi chipmunks prefer rocky areas with pinion and juniper pines and feed mostly on nuts, seeds and fruits. Food gathered is stored in cheek pouches and taken elsewhere for consumption or storage. They nest in rock piles or crevices. This is the common chipmunk of much of the canyon and slickrock piñon-juniper country in western Colorado. Population densities appear to be highest in areas with an abundance of broken rock or rubble at the base of cliff faces or in rock formations with deep fissures and crevices suitable for den sites.

In Colorado, the Hopi chipmunk occurs in the west from the Yampa River south. It ranges eastward along the Colorado River to Eagle County and along the Gunnison to the western end of the Black Canyon.

Hopi Chipmunk (Neotamias rufus) - Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Palmer's Chipmunk (Neotamias palmeri) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae, endemic to Nevada. Its natural habitat is temperate forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Palmer's chipmunk resembles other chipmunks in that it has solid black and white stripes that run down its body dorsally. The body of the chipmunk is tan while its ventral side is more pale. Total body length is 210–223 millimetres (8.3–8.8 in), with a tail of 86.5–101.5 millimetres (3.41–4.00 in). Adults weigh between 50 and 69.4 grams.

Palmer's chipmunk is found only in the Spring Mountains of Clark County, southern Nevada. It mostly occurs at altitudes of 7,000–10,000 feet (2,100–3,000 m), inhabiting cliffs and forested areas between the upper pinyon pine and juniper regions, up and into the fir-pine and bristlecone pine communities. There are some indications that the species prefers to associate with water sources.

Palmer’s Chipmunk (Neotamias palmeri) - McWilliams Campground, Nevada Mount Charleston

The Panamint Chipmunk (Neotamias panamintinus) is a species of rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is endemic to desert mountain areas of southeast California and southwest Nevada in the United States.

It is considered a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its broad range, prevalence, and no known major threats.[1] The Panamint chipmunk occurs in pinyon pine-juniper woodlands in bushes, boulders, and on cliffs.

Environmentally, the Panamint chipmunks are a prey species that contributes to the diets of their predators, including birds, raptors, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats.

Panamint Chipmunk (Neotamias panamintinus) - Desert View Overlook Mt Charleston

The Lodgepole Chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in the U.S. state of California at elevations from 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft). The Lodgepole chipmunk has a variety of common names including: Tahoe chipmunk, Sequoia chipmunk, Mt. Pinos chipmunk, and San Bernardino chipmunk.

Females are larger than males. Female Lodgepole chipmunks have an average body weight of 55-69 grams whereas males on average are 50-60 grams. Along with weight, body length in females ranges 197–229 mm (7 3/4 - 9 inches), while males are 200–222 mm (7.9–8.7 in). Body patterns remain consistent in both sexes as they exhibit characteristic white dorsal and facial stripes, where the central dorsal stripes are less prominent and closer to yellow-white than the lateral white stripes. In comparison to other close relatives, this species has darker and broader facial stripes. Other notable body patterns include dark black dorsal stripes, a lack of a black stripe underneath the prominent white lateral stripe, bright orange color on sides and orange-gray coloring on the shoulders, a gray under-belly, and a gray rump. The top of the head, the crown, is known to be brown with some gray interspersed. The tail, lengthier in females, ranges from 13–22 mm (0.51–0.87 in) and is characterized by its black tip and cinnamon body.

The Lodgepole chipmunk spans from the high Sierra Nevada, San Jacinto, San Bernardino, and San Gabriel Mountain ranges of California into the Lake Tahoe region of the west central corner of Nevada. This species lives in subalpine coniferous forests made primarily of several species of pines (Lodgepole, Jeffrey, Ponderosa, and Sugar) and firs (Douglas, white and red). They can be observed foraging around and on top of rocks and fallen logs, which make up the forest floor.

In 1978, a removal experiment based on observations was conducted by Mark A. Chappell which took four different species of chipmunk into account. This experiment was to detail the process of removal by the different species. In the experiment, it was noted that the four different species were allopatric, meaning they formed non-overlapping borders in their Sierra Nevada habitat. Each species (N. alpinus, N. speciosus, N. amoenus, and N. minimus) was noted to live at different zones in the Sierra Nevada. The Lodgepole chipmunk (N. speciosus) was observed living from 2400 to 3000 meters in the lodgepole pine zone, between the alpine zone (3000+ meters) and the Piñon pine/mountain mahogany zone (1900–2400 meters). This ecological competition for different zones of a single area is determined by physiological and environmental limits, where each species is limited specifically to a zone that best fit each species' habitat preferences.

The effects of burning and mechanical thinning were investigated from 1999 to 2000 and 2002–2003 in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. This experiment was conducted through captures of Lodgepole chipmunks and the results indicated that over a short-term period, forest management techniques such as burning and mechanical thinning did not have a significant impact on the species in respect to capture rate or population number. However, the experiment did indicate that body mass of these chipmunks decreased because forest structure changed, limiting food availability provided by the cones of trees.

Lodgepole Chipmunk (Neotamias speciosus) - Sierra Nevada Mountains, Mammoth Lake, Yosemite National Park (some of these images may be Long-eared Chipmunks)

The Long-eared Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrimaculatus), also called the Sacramento chipmunk or the four-banded chipmunk, is a species of rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is endemic to the central and northern Sierra Nevada of California and Nevada in the United States. Long-eared chipmunks have the longest ears of all species of chipmunks.

Male long-eared chipmunks range from 23.0–23.9 centimeters (9.1–9.4 in) in total length, while females range from 23.0–24.5 centimeters (9.1–9.6 in). The tail makes up a large part of the total length, ranging from 8.5–10.0 centimeters (3.3–3.9 in) in males and 9.0–10.1 centimeters (3.5–4.0 in) in females. Males weigh from 74.1–89.0 grams (2.61–3.14 oz), and females weigh from 81.0–105.0 grams (2.86–3.70 oz). The chipmunks are bright red-brown in color, displaying five dark stripes and four pale stripes on their backs. They also have large, noticeable white patches at the base of both ears.

Long-eared Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrimaculatus) - Yosemite National Park, California

The Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus) is a species of chipmunk in the squirrel family Sciuridae. It is endemic to Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States.

A Colorado chipmunk eating a sunflower seed near the entrance to Timpanogos Cave in Timpanogos Cave National Monument, Utah

It can be found most often in coniferous forests, woodlands, montane shrub lands, and alpine tundra habitats. This means that in elevation, T. quadrivittatus inhabits anywhere above 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) and below 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) elevation.

This western American dweller is the largest of the three species of chipmunks found in the Colorado Front Range (which also include the Least Chipmunk and the Uinta Chipmunk). On average it weighs about 62 grams (2.2 oz). Chipmunks are distinguished from ground squirrels in that their faces have a stripe going across under the eye. There are no dimorphic differences between males and females.

Their vocalizations are essential for defending their territories.

Colorado Chipmunk (Neotamias quadrivittatus) - Jacob Lake, Arizona, North Rim

Townsend's Chipmunk (Neotamias townsendii) is a species of rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest of North America, from extreme southwestern British Columbia through western Washington and western Oregon. Townsend's chipmunk is named after John Kirk Townsend, an early 19th-century ornithologist.

A large chipmunk, adults can be 36 cm (14 in) from nose to the tip of its tail. In much of its range, it is the only chipmunk; it can be identified by its tail which is grayish above and reddish below, and by its brown coloration with indistinct tawny stripes.

Townsend's chipmunk hibernates in regions where the winter is harsh, but in other parts of its range that have a more mild climate it can be active year-round. It is omnivorous, eating a variety of plants and insects and even birds' eggs. Townsend's chipmunks in the Oregon Coast Range have higher population densities in areas with dense shrubbery, especially salal (Gaultheria shallon). In the summer and early fall, Townsend's chipmunks eat blackberries, salal berries, and thimble berries. In the late fall, they eat acorns, huckleberries, maple seeds, thistle seeds, grain seeds, grass, roots, and conifer seeds.

Townsend’s Chipmunk (Neotamias townsendii) - Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Yellow-cheeked Chipmunk (Neotamias ochrogenys), also known as the redwood chipmunk, is a species of rodent in the squirrel family, Sciuridae. It is endemic to areas near the coast of northern California in the United States where it inhabits coastal coniferous forest.

The yellow-cheeked chipmunk is the largest species in the genus Neotamias and grows to a total length of 233 to 297 mm (9.2 to 11.7 in) including a tail of 97 to 130 mm (3.8 to 5.1 in). It is a dark, tawny olive with five dark longitudinal stripes on the body, the central one along the spine being the most prominent, and three on the head, where the dark stripe running across the eye has pale stripes on either side. A pale patch of fur is found immediately behind the ear. The sides of the body are ochre which gradually fades to the paler underparts, where dark gray guard hairs are tipped with white. The bushy tail is dorsoventrally flattened, the upper surface being the same color as the body and the underside being reddish-brown to orange. The guard hairs on the tail are also tipped with white. It moults in the fall and the fur in the winter is duller colored, longer, and silkier.

The yellow-cheeked chipmunk is endemic to the coast region of northern California, where it is present in a strip of land nowhere wider than 40 km (25 mi). The southern end of its range is a few kilometers north of Bodega Bay and Freestone in Sonoma County and the northern end is the Eel River in Humboldt County. It occurs at altitudes up to 1,280 m (4,200 ft) in the humid coastal strip of coniferous forest where an understory of shrubby growth occurs.

(Neotamias ochrogenys) - Crescent City California. Possible Siskiyou Chipmunk

The Gray-footed Chipmunk (Neotamias canipes) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to New Mexico and in the Sierra Diablo and Guadalupe Mountains in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas in the United States. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.

The preferred habitat of the gray-footed chipmunk is down logs at the edge of clearings. They occur also in dense stands of mixed timber (oaks, pines, firs) and on brushy hillsides, particularly where crevices in rocks offer retreats. When alarmed, they usually seek seclusion in crevices or burrows; occasionally they take to the trees.

Gray-footed Chipmunk (Tamias canipes) - Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico

 Olympic Chipmunk - Tamias amoenus caurinus

Identification:Olympic chipmunks are one of several endemic mammals on the Olympic Peninsula and are ey are found nowhere else in the world. These creatures are quite small, weighing less than a pound. They have white underbellies and brownish fur, with dark and light stripes running from their nose to their ears and down their backs.

Habitat:Olympic chipmunks are forest inhabitants, most common in the park's subalpine zone where the forests blend into meadows. They are relatively abundant, and conspicuous, and more often heard than seen. Once spotted, they can be hard to track, darting under leaves and brush to hide.

Diet:These creatures, like other chipmunks, forage the forest floor for seeds, nuts, berries, insects, and sometimes fungi during the winter. For such small creatures, they have large cheek pouches that can store quite a bit of food.

Olympic Chipmunk (Neotamias amoenus caurinus) - Olympic Mountains, Olympic National Park Washington

The Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a chipmunk species found in eastern North America. It is the only living member of the chipmunk genus Tamias.

The name "chipmunk" comes from the Ojibwe word ᐊᒋᑕᒨ ajidamoo (or possibly ajidamoonh, the same word in the Ottawa dialect of Ojibwe), which translates literally as "one who descends trees headlong." First described by Mark Catesby in his 1743 The Natural History of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, the chipmunk was eventually classified as Sciurus striatus by Linnaeus, meaning "striped squirrel" in Latin. The scientific name was changed to Tamias striatus, meaning "striped steward," by Johann Illiger in 1811.

A small species, it reaches about 30 cm (12 in) in length including the tail, and a weight of 66–150 g (2.3–5.3 oz). It has reddish-brown fur on its upper body and five dark brown stripes contrasting with light brown stripes along its back, ending in a dark tail. It has lighter fur on the lower part of its body. It has a tawny stripe that runs from its whiskers to below its ears, and light stripes over its eyes. It has two fewer teeth than other chipmunks and four toes each on the front legs, but five on the hind legs. The chipmunk's appearance "remains consistent throughout life. There is no external difference in appearance between the sexes except the obvious anatomical characteristics of the genitalia during periods of fertility. Molt occurs once or twice annually, during May or June and sometimes again in October. Both albino and melanistic specimens have been observed, but without geographical regularity."

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) - Lincoln Marsh, Chicago Suburbs Illinois.