Among all the wild critters likely to be encountered on any outdoor adventure in various habitats across North America, chipmunks and tree squirrels are surely among the most conspicuous. These small, precocious, fluffy-tailed members of the rodent family are largely diurnal and often quite bold, making themselves at home in picnic areas, campgrounds and backyards everywhere that suitable habitat exists. In most cases, their acrobatic antics and nut-collecting behavior are charming and delightful, and in my opinion these iconic creatures of the woodland are also unquestionably cute!
This fall, let's get to know a few of the most common species of tree squirrels and chipmunks likely to be encountered in North America. (Not included in this list are the many species of ground squirrels and nocturnal flying squirrels in North America.)
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| American Red Squirrel |
American Red Squirrels, distinguished by their white eye-rings and reddish fur, range across much of Alaska, Canada, the northern midwestern and northeastern United States and down through the Rocky Mountains, where they inhabit coniferous forests. I've encountered these cute squirrels in both Acadia National Park in Maine and Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming.
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| American Red Squirrel |
Similar in appearance and habitat to the American Red Squirrel, the much smaller range of the Douglas Squirrel is restricted to the Pacific Northwest. They are also found south through the Sierra Nevada mountains, in higher elevation coniferous forests.
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| Douglas Squirrel |
Inhabiting roughly the same geographic range in the Pacific Northwest as the Douglas Squirrel, the Western Gray Squirrel prefers lower elevation mixed coniferous and oak woodlands, and the two species barely overlap. The Western Gray Squirrel is found throughout much of California, where is it closely associated with oak woodland.
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| Western Gray Squirrel |
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| Western Gray Squirrel
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The
native range of the Eastern Gray Squirrel is, as its name implies, Eastern North America east of the Great Plains, where they are abundant in mixed hardwood forests, as well as urban and suburban areas. A few populations have become established out West as well, particularly around cities in the Pacific Northwest (like Portland and Seattle) and Central California.
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| Eastern Gray Squirrel |
Interestingly, North America's Eastern Gray Squirrel is the species of squirrel now most likely to be seen in England and Scotland, where they were introduced in the 19th century to beautify country estates, and have since unfortunately become so successful as to outcompete the native European Red Squirrel.
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| Eastern Gray Squirrel |
Fox Squirrels inhabit mixed woodlands in the Central and Southeastern United States, often overlapping in range and habitat with Eastern Gray Squirrels. These large and, I think, quite handsome squirrels are often reddish in color, though there can be quite a bit of variation; in the southeast, they can be much darker in color, sporting very striking black faces and white noses.
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| Eastern Fox Squirrel |
Like Eastern Gray Squirrels, Fox Squirrels have moved west, and can be found in and around cities and parks with abundant trees in Central and Southern California. I only recently saw my first Fox Squirrel in my hometown - which is surprising, given our decided lack of native tree species here in this former grassland!
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Eastern Fox Squirrel
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Not to be confused with squirrels, chipmunks are considerably smaller than squirrels, spend more time on the ground, typically nest in underground burrows rather than in trees, and can be readily separated from all squirrels by their iconic striped faces.
California is a hotbed of diversity in general, so perhaps it is unsurprising that it is home to more species of chipmunk than anywhere else in the world!
Of the 24 species of North American chipmunks, 13 are found in California. Sorting out these flighty little critters and identifying them to species level can be extremely challenging, as differences between species are often subtle. Range, habitat and elevation are the best indicators of which species are likely to be present, and a good field guide is indispensable. (I like
Mammals of California and the
Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America.)
Or, you could just be a normal person, content to call it a "chipmunk" and enjoy its cuteness without the need to know its specific epithet! That's an option too.
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| Least Chipmunk |
Below is a very small sampling of just a few fairly common species of North American chipmunks.
The Least Chipmunk is, as its name implies, the smallest of our chipmunk species, but it inhabits the largest range. Found in diverse habitats across much of Canada and the western United States, these little chipmunks can often be distinguished by their their dull grayish coloring and their long tails, which they tend to hold aloft.
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| Least Chipmunk |
Yellow-pine Chipmunks are found across the Northwestern United States, where they inhabit coniferous forests between 3,000 and 9,500 feet in elevation.
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| Yellow-pine Chipmunk |
Lodgepole chipmunks are found predominantly in California's Sierra Nevada mountains (as well as some mountain ranges in Southern California), where they inhabit coniferous forests between about 5,000 and 10,000 feet in elevation, where Lodgepole Pines are common.
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| Lodgepole Chipmunk |
Sonoma chipmunks are found in California's Coast Range north of the San Francisco Bay. Much of their range lies within Sonoma and Marin counties, where they can be found in coniferous forests from sea level to 6,000 feet.
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| Sonoma Chipmunk |
Townsend's chipmunks inhabit coniferous forests in western Oregon & Washington, and are best identified by range. Note their much darker coloration.
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| Townsend's Chipmunk |
If you live in or visit the Eastern United States, chipmunk identification is much easier, as there is only one species: the Eastern Chipmunk!
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| Eastern Chipmunk |
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Eastern Chipmunk
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One more species that may be mistaken for a chipmunk, but is really a ground squirrel, is the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel. Note the lack of stripes on the face, which are present in all species of chipmunks.
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| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel is a familiar face in campgrounds and picnic areas in coniferous forests across much of the western United States.
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| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel |
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