Howdy folks. We know you don’t come here out of a thirst for statistics, so we wanted to get you back into the action as soon as we could. Brad had perfect timing as he just provided us the latest drop of adventures to share. Nothing better than the present to pop a fresh one off the queue, while I battle the last remaining spirits in the new machine. Only one pillar left to port, the digital darkroom – no more delay excuses, I’ve run out of distractions and all the “squirrels” have been rounded up and put to work cleaning the Intrigued HQ grounds….wait is that competitive gardening coming on the TV!?!?!…I better let you go.
Take it away Brad…
Recently Jan and I signed up for an assignment in Alaska during late summer. Tough duty, I know. To get ready for our trip to the Yukon (actually, I’m not sure we’ll even see the Yukon, but it sounded better), we attended a presentation on the tour we were taking. The tour guide was giving us some information about some of the wildlife there. He said that often visitors are not able to tell the types of bears apart. Alaska has both grizzly and black bears. But often the grizzlies are very dark colored, and the black bears have very light fur. To the casual observer they are indistinguishable. The guide gave us a sure-fire methodology to tell them apart in a pinch. Are you ready? Here it is:
If you find yourself too close to a bear and you don’t know which kind it is – climb a tree. A black bear will follow you up the tree. A grizzly bear will simply knock the tree over. Identification problem solved.
Nothing we saw on our trip through Yosemite and adjoining parks was anything like that. Well, except for this black bear from Sequoia National Park last summer (link here). Jan and I only saw very small furry critters. To be fair, some were quite good at climbing trees, we can’t rule out that they are part black bear based on what we learned above, but I seriously doubt it.
Our story begins here. As does the identification dilemma for hikers near National Parks. No, I’m not talking about bears any longer. Thankfully today’s subject is much more approachable and far less dangerous and does not involve any tree climbing, at least not on your part. I’m talking about chipmunks and ground squirrels. Yes, there is a difference between chipmunks and ground squirrels. Before I jump in, I know this may get confusing (I certainly was), so let me give you a primer.
Chipmunk vs. Ground Squirrel identification primer:
- One website says the difference between a chipmunk and a ground squirrel is: Chipmunks are small mammals with distinct stripes, while the ground squirrel has body stripes like chipmunks, but no stripes on its head.
- Another website says something similar: One easy way to tell them apart is by their stripes. Chipmunk stripes run the length of their bodies, including their heads. Ground Squirrel stripes start at the neck and run along their backs, but they do not have stripes on their heads. (Someone was splitting hairs when they wrote up this definition, IMHO.)
- Still another website says that ground squirrels can weigh between 1 and 10 pounds, whereas chipmunks are usually under a pound (not based on the amount of the sunflower seeds they eat near my bird feeders). Good luck getting them to hold still while you weigh them.
- Ground squirrels can live between 5-10 years while chippers only 2-5 years. This one isn’t the most reliable visual indicator, unless you have lots and lots and lots of time. (Allyson’s grandpa (Jan’s dad) used to tell her “chipper” stories when she was little. The story was different each time, which kept Allyson coming back for more.)
- Their tails can be an indicator all other things being equal. Ground squirrel tails tend to be longer and bushier than the chipmunks “shorter and not nearly as fluffy” tails. Chipmunks will sometimes run with the tails straight up or out behind them.
- Habitat can be a big differentiator as well; except we saw all of the critters below in nearly the same habitats. None held still long enough and we didn’t wait around to see to know if they ran up trees (ground squirrels) or not (chipmunks). Chipmunks tend not to climb trees, but climb over fallen trees. Ground squirrels have no qualms at about climbing trees, or so we are told.
- Though not really a visual differentiator, hibernation patterns differ slightly: chipmunks wake up every few days to eat during colder months while ground squirrels can go for longer periods of time between winter feedings.
Well, there it is. Clear as mud, right?
You are all ready now to hit the jump and put some visuals to that primer!
Now you know everything I know about chipmunks and ground squirrels. I suppose there are regional differences. Some people call the same animal a chipmunk while others call it a ground squirrel. Talk amongst yourselves. It’s OK to share answers for the quiz at the end.
This is a Lodgepole Chipmunk (Tamias speciosus). We found this little one at Kings Canyon NP, scampering around the Giant Sequoias. Imagine the irony when one of the smallest furry critters lives among the world’s largest trees.
Remember the criteria above: stripey head, non-bushy tail. Simple (well, not really) I say. It’s a chipmunk. Chipmunks have stripes that run up their entire bodies, heads included. Ground squirrels only have striping on their backs or sides. The Lodgepole has a stripey head, aka. chipmunk.
A similar looking chipmunk is the Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus).
Jan and I saw this one at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. You know, the mashed potatoes sculpture from the Close Encounters of the Third Kind movie from the 1970’s. This critter was running along the walkway, between the giant boulders that had fallen from the Tower. The Least Chipmunk has brighter orange/brown sides similar to a Lodgepole. The ear shape is a bit different: The Least has almost cute rounded ears, where the Lodgepole ears sit up straight and tall and a bit pointed (not quite Vulcan). The Least Chipmunk is the smallest, and most widespread chipmunk in North America.
The Lodgepole and the Least chipmunks both have stripey faces and multi-striped backs. The Lodgepole has much more striking colors on its face. Neither is very much longer than a smartphone, even when its tail is fully stretched out.
Both the Least and the Lodgepole are world class at scampering (Is that an Olympic sport yet?). Some of the only things harder to photograph than small birds in the woods, are chipmunks and ground squirrels, or whatever you want to call them. National Parks have more than their fair share in my humble opinion. In fact, I had to re-identify a few from past trips once I had the primer above.
Out of the corner of my eye, and through the viewfinder trying to track one for a photo, they all look alike. Thankfully, the camera freezes them so I can tell them apart later. Remember, until I can see them on the big screen at home, they all look the same on the tiny LCD on the back of my camera. To catch these little critters on “film”, it helps to have the title condition: ADHLAS — Attention Deficit Hey Look A Squirrel! (Borrowed from the Frazz comic strip by Jef Mallett.) Admittedly, now I have to add ADHLAC for chipmunks.
OK, ready for some ground squirrels?
This is a Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii). Notice there’s no “ground” involved in its name. Why it’s not called a ground squirrel, I’m not sure. While a Douglas Squirrel does indeed have “squirrel” in its name, it is only slightly bigger than the others and has very similar activities. Oh, and it does like to climb trees. I guess that’s where the “squirrel” part comes from.
The Douglas Squirrel and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) both have strong side stripes. The Douglas has a single dark stripe down their side separating their back and belly colors. The Golden-mantled has two dark stripes sandwiching a white stripe. (think Oreo cookies)
Of course, the Golden-mantled has, well, a golden-colored head or mantle. The Department of Obvious Names (DON) was working after hours again. Both squirrels have white eye rings. And they both . . . are you ready for this . . . climb trees. (squirrel definition above)
The California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus
beecheyi) is a bit larger than the others, but not quite the size of the small Eastern Grey squirrels (sorry, no photo this time) cleaning up under the bird feeders at Wildlife Intrigued’s satellite office.
Jan and I had just seen the lower cascade of Yosemite Falls and were walking “downstream” through the other tourists trying to get “upstream” to the falls. There was a group of three little old ladies taking a rest on a log at the edge of the trail. They were chatting away, laughing, and not really paying attention to the wildlife in their immediate vicinity. Jan saw a few California Ground Squirrels running around, looking for snacks the tourists may have dropped. She spotted this one, sneaking up on one of the old ladies. At first the squirrel just seemed curious, but when it spied the unattended Starbucks cup, it went in for the kill. We warned the old ladies they were about to lose their daily caffeine. They turned to see what was going on and began laughing even harder as the California Ground Squirrel grabbed the empty cup and started to run off with it. I’ve not seen a grey squirrel go after a Starbucks cup like this California Ground Squirrel did a few seconds after Jan took this photo. No stripes on its head and a bushy tail (squirrel).
Confused? I certainly hope not. Remember, stripes are a key differentiator. Tail size and shape is another. In 1/1000th of a second, the amount of time they actually sit still, those may be the only features you are able to make out. If it happens to run up a tree, you can eliminate half of the chipmunk vs. ground squirrel conundrum. Please address your letters to the Intrigued Legal Department.
Thank you for reading. If you want to see more photos, please visit the links below.
Credits:
Thanks again to Jan for proofreading and editing. Thanks to Jan for most of the photos in this article.
Bonus photos to try your new found identification skills. The answers are directly below each photo, no quiz involved.
…Lodgepole chipmunk (see more here)
…Least chipmunk (see more here)
…Douglas squirrel (see more here)
…California ground squirrel (see more here)
…Golden-mantled ground squirrel (see more here)
Life Intrigued 