Neotamias townsendii
Neotamias amoenus caurinus
04/05/2015 Mouth of Elwha River, elevation 5 feet
04/05/2015 Mouth of Elwha River, elevation 5 feet
04/18/2006 Salt Creek Recreation Area, elevation less than 100 feet
07/27/2017 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet
09/20/2020 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet
09/21/2020 Heart O' the Hills Area, elevation about 2,000 feet
05/30/2015 Adjacent to Obstruction Point Road, elevation about 5,000 feet
06/19/2007 Hurricane Hill area, elevation about 5,000 feet
06/21/2014 Sunrise Ridge, elevation about 5,500 feet
06/23/2010 Hurricane Hill area, elevation 5,000 feet
06/23/2010 Hurricane Hill area, elevation about 5,000 feet
07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail elevation about 5,000 feet
07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5700 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
07/16/2015 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
07/28/2013 Sunrise Ridge, elevation about 5,500 feet
09/08/2013 Adjacent to Obstruction Point Road, elevation about 5,700 feet
09/27/2017 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
09/27/2017 Pumpkinseed Lake, elevation about 5,700 feet
10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
10/06/2020 Hurricane Hill Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
29 - Olympic Chipmunk eating Wild Strawberry. 07/03/2018 Wolf Creek Trail, elevation about 5,000 feet
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.