Crater Chipmunk

Fascinating facts about the Crater Chipmunk

• At just 21 cm (8.3 inches) from nose to tail tip, the crater chipmunk, with its tail making up nearly half that size at 9.7 cm (3.8 inches).
• The crater chipmunk lives in the conifer-filled hills of southern Idaho, north of the Snake River Plain. Its name comes from the Craters of the Moon National Monument, the exact spot where the first specimen was collected.
• Once thought to be a subspecies of Neotamias amoenus, scientists now recognize the crater chipmunk as its own species, Neotamias cratericus.

At a glance

About the Crater Chipmunk

In the sun-drenched slopes of the Great Basin, the Crater Chipmunk darts with purpose, its striped form weaving through rocky outcroppings and scrubby vegetation with an air of quiet industry. As it moves, the chipmunk's bright, inquisitive eyes scan the terrain, ever-vigilant for the seeds, nuts, and fruits that sustain it through the harsh, beautiful seasons of its mountain home. With each nimble bound, the Crater Chipmunk embodies the resilient, unassuming spirit of the wild, its very existence a testament to the enduring power of life in this rugged, majestic landscape.

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