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. Fifteen species of native chipmunks of the genus Eutamias and one of the genus Tamias are found in North America.