I’m a huge fan of chipmunks and squirrels. Their bushy tails, their cute mannerisms, their love of snacks — what’s not to love?
Unfortunately for me, there aren’t any chipmunks that I’ve seen in my local woods, so I had to take a little trip to Campbell Valley Regional Park and go on that lookout. I wasn’t disappointed!
Species of Chipmunks
There are 4 different chipmunk species in British columbia:
- The Least Chipmunk (Tamias neotamias minimus)
- The Yellow-Pine Chipmunk (Tamias neotamias amoenus)
- The Red-Tailed Chipmunk (Tamias neotamias ruficaudus)
- Townsends Chipmunk (Tamias neotamias townsendii)
I have no idea which species I saw. If you can identify it, let me know! My best guess is a red-tailed chipmunk.
Chimpmunk Stripes
The stripes are probably the thing that clues most people in that the fuzzy thing in front of them is a chipmunk rather than a squirrel. The stripes likely help them hide from predators and may be caused by the same genes that give rodents a lighter-colored belly.
