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California chipmunk (Neotamias obscurus)        Images © Mark A. Chappell

Chipmunks are an attractive and species-rich group, especially in mountainous regions in the western US and Canada; other species occur in eastern North America and in Eurasia.  All are active, alert, and fast-moving.   This is probably the California chipmunk, which was recently split from the very similar Merriam's chipmunk.   California chipmunks are found in some mountain areas in southern California, and just barely into Baja California.   They are medium-sized and fairly dull-colored chipmunks, especially compared to the lodgepole chipmunk, which is found in some of the same mountains.   I photographed this one in the San Jacinto Mountains, in yellow-pine and incense cedar forest -- in this habitat it replaces Merriam's chipmunk in the San Jacintos.   Chipmunk species pictured on this site include:

  • Canon 7DII; 800 mm IS with 1.4X converter, fill-in flash (2015)