The Chipmunk Place

There are two genera of Chipmunks among the many kinds of ground squirrels. The Eastern Chipmunk is the larger of the two, with the body measuring five to seven inches and the tail three to nine inches in length.

The fur is a reddish brown with two dark stripes flanked by two white stripes on either side of the back. It also has a reddish fur at the base of the tail. The tail is not as bushy as that of a tree squirrel.

The Siberian chipmunk has a smaller body, about four inches long with a tail of about equal length. Its fur is lighter in color, and it has five stripes than alternate between light and dark in color.

The names eastern and western chipmunk, refer to their distribution throughout North America. The single species of Eastern chipmunk, inhabits most of the eastern United States, and southeastern Canada. They thrive in regions of deciduous forest and shrubs. They are frequently seen around fallen logs, near large rocks or around out buildings.

The Western chipmunk, of which there are seventeen species, inhabits North America from the Yukon south to Sonora in Mexico. They have also spread across Asia from northern Russia, through Siberia, and into northern China and Japan. Sixteen of the species are found in North America, and only one species in Asia.

The western chipmunk prefers an open range, and can be found in pastures, prairies, and in other opened fields. You can also find the western chipmunk on the rocky cliffs of some mountain ranges.

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