Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) lives in alpine rocky terrain across Western North America. It feeds on seeds and nuts. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Least Chipmunk
- At barely the length of a ruler, the least chipmunk tops out at just 25 cm (9.8 in) from nose to tail tip and weighs only 66 g (2.33 oz), making it the tiniest chipmunk on the continent. Its bushy tail adds another 10-11 cm (3.9-4.3 in) of orange-brown fluff, while the body sports five dark stripes framed by four white ones that run the whole length of its back. These compact dimensions in the open sagebrush and alpine meadows it calls home.
- A single least chipmunk's home range can shrink to just 0.1 ha (0.25 acres) in northern Michigan, yet expand to a sprawling 5.5 ha (14 acres) in Colorado's mountains, showing how flexible its territory needs are. The tiny burrow they dig contains a single chamber about 15 cm (5.9 in) across and tunnels 7.5 cm (3.0 in) wide, averaging 1.7 m (5 ft 7 in) long, with entrances hidden under rocks about 18 cm (7.1 in) below ground. These compact underground homes let them stay warm and hidden while they store food for winter torpor.
- Females give birth after a brief 28- to 30-day gestation, usually delivering three to seven hairless, blind pups that weigh a mere 6 g (0.21 oz) each. The newborns, only about 5 cm (2.0 in) long, can stand and open their eyes by day 27 and are weaned at 36 days, ready to face the world before their first winter. This rapid early development allows the species to produce a single litter each year, yet still achieve a lifespan of up to six years in captivity, underscoring a life-history strategy tuned to short, intense breeding seasons.
- Across its vast range, from the sagebrush of New Mexico to the tundra edges of Yukon, twenty subspecies of least chipmunk have been identified, each adapted to local soils, vegetation and climate. For example, N. m. caryi lives only on the alkaline dunes of Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park, while N. m. atristriatus is confined to New Mexico's Sacramento Mountains and faces habitat-loss threats that have prompted an endangered-species proposal.
- When sprinting across a rocky meadow, a least chipmunk can hit 7.7 km/h (4.8 mph), despite its featherlight frame.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeWestern North America
HabitatAlpine rocky terrain
DietSeeds and nuts
About the Least Chipmunk
In the golden light of a mountain meadow, the least chipmunk darts and weaves, its tiny paws barely touching the ground as it pursues its frenetic quest for seeds and berries. With a twitch of its striped back, it vanishes into the underbrush, only to reappear a moment later, its bright, inquisitive eyes scanning the landscape for the next morsel or hidden danger. As it scurries through its rocky domain, this smallest of chipmunks embodies the very essence of resilience and adaptability, thriving in a world of harsh beauty and fleeting abundance.
Hear the Least Chipmunk, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
