ONH

Olympic Peninsula Chipmunks

Neotamias townsendii
Neotamias amoenus caurinus

  • 1635
  • 0028
  • 0077
  • 0078
  • 0161
  • 1620955
  • 1110581
  • 0024
  • 1850368
  • marmotcoat
  • 7727
  • 1850471
  • 1850571
  • 1850601
  • 1170708
  • 1170936
  • 1180138
  • 1180145
  • 1180155
  • 1180163
  • 7967
  • 1850825
  • 1630891
  • 1630920
  • 1850646
  • 1850418
  • 1850802
  • 1850817
  • Content Slide
  • 1635
    1 - A Townsend’s Chipmunk, Tamais townsendii, surveys an adjacent trail.

    04/05/2015 Mouth of Elwha River, elevation 5 feet

  • 0028
    2 - Same individual as in slide 1.

    04/05/2015 Mouth of Elwha River, elevation 5 feet

  • 0077
    3 - Townsend”s Chipmunk in a campground.

    04/18/2006 Salt Creek Recreation Area, elevation less than 100 feet

  • 0078
    4 - Townsend’s Chipmunk on a hanging bird feeder.

    07/27/2017 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet

  • 0161
    5 - Townsend’s Chipmunks gathering birdseed at a raised garden bed.

    09/20/2020 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet

  • 1620955
    6 - Townsend’s Chipmunk gathering birdseed at a raised garden bed.

    09/21/2020 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet

  • 1110581
    7 - Chipmunk gathering dried leaves (possibly Olympic Onion, Allium crenulatum).

    05/30/2015 Adjacent to Obstruction Point Road, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 0024
    8 - Chipmunk feeding on Dwarf Blueberry, Vaccinium caespitosum

    06/19/2007 Hurricane Hill area, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850368
    9 - Chipmunk eating Olympic Onion, Allium crenulatum

    06/21/2014 Sunrise Ridge, elevation about 5,500 feet

  • marmotcoat
    10 - Chipmunk feeding.

    06/23/2010 Hurricane Hill area, elevation 5,000 feet

  • 7727
    11 - Same individual as in slide 10

    06/23/2010 Hurricane Hill area, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850471
    12 - Chipmunk overlooking a trail.

    07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850571
    13 - Same individual in slides 13 and 14 with Wild Strawberry, Fragaria sp.

    07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850601
    14 - Same individual in slides 13 and 14 eating Wild Strawberry

    07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1170708
    15 - Chipmunk watching from atop a rock.

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1170936
    16 - Chipmunk on rock.

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5700 feet

  • 1180138
    17 - Same individual in slides 17 - 20

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1180145
    18 - Same individual in slides 17 - 20, here eating Dwarf Blueberry, Vaccinium caespitosum

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1180155
    19 - Same individual in slides 17 - 20. As I took this photo, the chipmunk appeared to be vocalizing.

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1180163
    20 - Same individual in slides 17 - 20. As I took this photo, the chipmunk appeared to be vocalizing.

    07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 7967
    21 - Chipmunk near a trail.

    07/28/2013 Sunrise Ridge, elevation about 5,500 feet

  • 1850825
    22 - Chipmunk in a characteristic alert pose.

    09/08/2013 Adjacent to Obstruction Point Road, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1630891
    23 - Chipmunk watching from rock.

    09/27/2017 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1630920
    24 - Chipmunk watching from rock.

    09/27/2017 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet

  • 1850646
    25 - Same individual in slides 25 - 27

    10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850418
    26 - Same individual in slides 25 - 27

    10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850802
    27 - Same individual in slides 25 - 27

    10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • 1850817
    28 - Chipmunk in a characteristic alert pose.

    10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

  • Content Slide

 

29 - Olympic Chipmunk eating Wild Strawberry. 07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet

Chipmunks of the Olympic Peninsula


Two chipmunk species live on the Olympic Peninsula: Townsend’s Chipmunk, Neotamias townsendii, and the Olympic Chipmunk, Neotamias amoenus caurinus, a Yellow-pine Chipmunk subspecies that is endemic to the Olympics.

While Townsend’s Chipmunk tends to live at lower elevations, they can be found at higher elevations as well. Olympic Chipmunks live at high elevations, and are common in the Hurricane Ridge area.

Our photographs here are organized by elevation: near sea level, around 2000 feet, and around 5000 feet. The ones near sea level are Townsend’s chipmunk. Our best guess is that the photos taken at around 2000 feet are of Townsend’s Chipmunk. The chipmunks photographed at around 5000 feet are likely Olympic Chipmunks but could possibly include some Townsend’s Chipmunks.

We have looked for, but have not found, a way to distinguish the two species in photographs. Townsend’s Chipmunk is larger than the Olympic Chipmunk but it is difficult to judge size in photographs (and even in the field). The sources we read describe the Olympic Chipmunk as having more brightly contrasting stripes. They also refer to the presence in Olympic Chipmunks of a dark stripe from nose to eye.