Family: Sciuridae, Squirrels view all from this family
Description Top of head pale gray shaded with pinkish cinnamon. Facial stripes brown; eye stripe black. Somewhat indistinct dark dorsal stripes are brown or russet; median stripe is black behind. Median light stripes are smoke gray, the outer pair paler. Hindfeet cinnamon-buff. L 8 1/4–9 3/8" (208–240 mm); T 3 5/8–3 7/8" (91–99 mm); HF 1 1/4–1 3/8" (33–35 mm); Wt 2–31/8 oz (56–90 g).
Similar Species Merriam’s Chipmunk is darker; dark stripes are less reddish.
Breeding Sometimes mates as early as January. Females call from perches prior to estrus; males may come from distances of 200 yards (meters). 1 or 2 litters per year are produced; gestation period and number of young unknown.
Habitat Pinyon-juniper or pine-oak forests, often with manzanita or sage and near rock outcrops.
Range South-central California.
Discussion The California Chipmunk is active throughout the year. It feeds on a variety of seeds, fruits, and flowers, including pinyon nuts and acorns. The burrows, which have short side branches that serve as turn-around spots or fecal pellet depositories, are usually protected by large boulders. One burrow was a straight tunnel, 3 feet (.9 m) long and 3 inches (75 mm) in diameter. Another burrow’s entrance into the ground was through a log. The California Chipmunk often calls from bushes, but not from trees. Its repertoire of calls includes the chip, chuck, and chipper, and a trill. An individual may chip, usually from the top of a boulder, for up to five minutes at a rate of 100 to 165 chips per minute, each one accompanied by a tail flip. The chip stimulates other chipmunks to call, while the chuck, which can also occur at a rate of 160 per minute, appears to quiet other chipmunks. The chipper call is given as the animal runs for cover.
