Fun Lodgepole Chipmunk Facts For Kids

A Lodgepole chipmunk is endemic to California, San Bernardino, Sand Sierra Nevada. Mostly found amongst the Lodgepole pine trees, it has its abode in the mixed coniferous mountain forests of San Bernardino.

Being omnivorous, they mostly consume plant and animal matter, namely seeds, flowers, leaves, pollen, invertebrates, and fungi. The seeds it intakes at times don't break down during the digestive processes, which in return is distributed in the surrounding forest cover by the rodents. Thus facilitating the water and nutrients upliftment of the mountain ecosystem.

While these furry creatures are an essential part of the mountain ecosystem, they have quite a few problems diminishing their population. Climate change and low temperature increase the mortality rate of these species and disturb their hibernation during winters.

Apart from this, abrupt spells of low temperature are also one of the chief causes behind the habitat loss of these species. Read on to find out more about these cute animals.

If you like what you read, do check out fact files on eastern chipmunk and least chipmunk.

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Lodgepole Chipmunk Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Lodgepole chipmunk?

Lodgepole chipmunks are rodents belonging to the family Sciuridae.

What class of animal does a Lodgepole chipmunk belong to?

Lodgepole chipmunks belong to the class of Mammalia, endemic to the states Sierra Nevada, California, and San Jacinto.

How many Lodgepole chipmunks are there in the world?

The exact number of Lodgepole chipmunks is not known. IUCN classifies lodgepole chipmunks as the least concerned species.  Keeping in mind the status provided by IUCN, their population seems to be stable.

Where does a Lodgepole chipmunk live?

Lodgepole chipmunk (Tamias speciosus) are mostly found in southern California, in the valleys and mountain ranges of Bernardino, San Gabriel, and  San Jacinto, and even in the eastern belt of Sierra Nevada. This species of rodents are also found in Lake Tahoe in the states of Nevada and California.

What is a Lodgepole chipmunk's habitat?

This species of chipmunks can be observed in the forest range of subalpine trees and mixed conifer trees. Their distribution surrounds mountainous trees like red firs and Jeffery pines.

Since this chipmunk lives in a forest containing Lodgepole pine, they are given this name. Another habitat of these chipmunks includes vegetation with different kinds of firs like the white and the Douglas firs and pines like ponderosa and the sugar pines.

The distribution of these chipmunks is concentrated across places where the population density is higher than most other places within a range of 1.5-1.9 mi (2,400-3,000 m) ranges.

They are found across the elevations of mountains that are within 0.9–2.1 mi (1500–3300 m). The different species of pine trees growing in and around the mountain disjoints of San Bernardino, and San Gabriel also serve as an ideal habitat for these species of rodents.

Who does Lodgepole chipmunk live with?

Lodgepole chipmunk Tamias speciosus are hardly heard. They are a very quiet species which hardly loves to socialize. They interact the most during mating and build colonies. Approximately 8-9 chipmunks live in a single colony.

How long does a Lodgepole chipmunk live?

The average life span of a Tamias speciosus (Lodgepole chipmunk) is one year. They mostly survive a single reproductive cycle or, more aptly, a single breeding cycle. However, some rodents of this species of chipmunks may live even up to four years. They mostly die due to a fall in temperature, such as freezing.

How do they reproduce?

The reproduction period in Tamias speciosus begins in May and ends in early June. During the first days of May, females and males emit a peculiar kind of chattering sound and some kind of optical signals to attract their mates.

They vigorously move their long tails and poses very different from their usual that attracts each other. Males prepare themselves by making their scrotum black in color.

Their testes sag during the start of reproduction. After mating, the unborn offspring develops inside females and gets water and nutrient from the mother's body.

After one month, the gestation period is completed, and about 3-6 pups are born at a time. In the beginning, they are not well developed. Their development increases as they grow.

Females lactate their offspring for a month before they can feed on other things. Lodgepole chipmunks do not live in a concentrated family; their juveniles start scattering when they become independent right after weaning.

They scatter around the autumn months or just before the start of winter. A chipmunk offspring attains sexual maturity within the upcoming spring.

Chipmunk juveniles need parental care from their mothers as lactating is an important practice amongst most terrestrial mammals. Early summer is the perfect time for the mating of these species or rodents.

What is their conservation status?

Widely found in the southern region of California, the Tamias speciosus (Lodgepole chipmunk) is listed as the Least Concern species by the IUCN.  However, climate change might distort its natural habitat; thus the need for the conservation of these species of rodents are extremely necessary. Their population is otherwise stable, so they are not endangered.

Lodgepole Chipmunk Fun Facts

What does a Lodgepole chipmunk look like?

Female chipmunks are a little larger than males. The average length and width of a female chipmunk is 7.8–9 in (19.7–22.9 cm), whereas the average length and width of a make chipmunk is 7.8–8.7 in (20–22.2 cm).

Both sexes of chipmunks have a tail length ranging between 0.5–0.9 in (1.3-2.2 cm). These chipmunks are quite vibrant in color than the other chipmunks belonging to the same genus. They can easily be distinguished and recognized by their facial stripes and Doral stripes.

Sub-molar stripes are quite darker as compared to the other species of chipmunks. The stripes extend from the face to the ears and even towards the central below.

The black median stripe present near the shoulder region might get pale into the color brown with time. The light-colored dorsal stripes act as a huge contrast to the light-colored dorsal stripes.

The black stripes disappear slightly as it runs central, with an overlaying of the white stripes. The lateral stripes are prominent, too.

The facial stripe appears mostly dark and prominent. The lateral stripes of the chipmunk are quite gleamy than the ones which seem white and pale-yellow. White spots are present behind it all ears, with a cinnamon-colored tail having a dark end.

The body of chipmunks mostly consists of stripes with varieties of colors this making it clearly distinguishable. Their skin follows a striped pattern and is mostly furry and brown.

How cute are they?

You can't argue that chipmunks aren't cute. Being so tiny, they take very few steps to run. Their cheeks are awesome and very cute to touch. They can allow several nuts and berries in their mouth, and during this, their head looks very bumpy and adorable.

Confirming its cuteness, an animated motion picture was made on these species, namely Alvin and the Chipmunks.

How do they communicate?

Chipmunks are a very quiet rodent species, seldom heard to make sounds. However, the basic communicating techniques include a series of collective vocalizations.

Chipmunks communicate either by making a certain high-pitched shrill like 'tsew' or by a series of collective utterances like "pst-pst-pst-a-Ku.” They often whistle or make visual prompts to communicate within their colony. Striking and wagging of their during mating and guarding themselves against a probable predator is another sign used by the chipmunks to reach out.

How big is a chipmunk?

The average length of a chipmunk's body ranges between 7.8 -8.3 in (197-212 mm), and its tail has a length between 0.5-0.9 in (13-22 mm).  A chipmunk weighs between  0.1-0.2 lb (50-70 g).

How fast can a Lodgepole chipmunk run?

A Lodgepole chipmunk has an average speed of 21 mph (33.8 kph).

How much does a Lodgepole chipmunk weigh?

A Lodgepole chipmunk weighs between 0.1-0.2 lb (50-70 g).  

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of this species of chipmunks have not been assigned any particular names. However, males can be differentiated from females as the latter is slightly bigger than the former.

What would you call a baby Lodgepole chipmunk?

Baby Lodgepole chipmunks are not known to have a specific name.

What do they eat?

Chipmunks from California are omnivores, meaning both plant and animal food constitute their diet. They are quite well-known for snatching eggs from the nests of birds.

Plant food includes seeds, leaves, flowers, pollen, and fungi, whereas animal food include seeds of birds, insects, anthropods, and certain invertebrates. Like every other rat and animal which needs hibernation to suffice,  a chipmunk living in the pine forests too stores food to pull through the long, harsh winter.

During hibernation, they rarely come out and thrive on stored foods.

A chipmunk often takes in seeds in their diet that are not naturally or rather thoroughly disintegrated during the process of digestion. The feces it discharges due to its diet often gets scattered in its habitat.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are disseminated by chipmunks in the same way. Thus, through the intake of seeds, pollen and fungi,  the chipmunks plate a notable role in contributing to and improving the mountain ecosystem.

Are they dangerous?

Chipmunks from California, San Bernardino, and the Sierra Nevada aren't dangerous at all. They might flip or strike with their tail only under threat or when provoked. Their behavior is almost quiet and friendly.  Although there's nothing much aggressive about their behavior, they might show hostility if provoked.

Would they make a good pet?

Having quiet behavior, the chipmunks are quite cute and friendly. They will make amazing pets with nothing much to maintain as they strive mostly on plant matter and eggs.

Did you know...

The lateral stripes of a Lodgepole chipmunk are brighter than the median stripes.

Their top predators include coyotes, Cooper's, and red-tailed hawks. Few other predators include bobcats and foxes.

Belonging from the mountains, these chipmunks are a very significant part of the food web system, as it both a catch as well as a predator.

Their litter does not avail for parental care long. They scatter early within a month after weaning.

Are Lodgepole chipmunks vulnerable to climate change?

The body temperature of chipmunks changes during summer and winters. They practice hibernation and are endothermic. The rodents maintain a persistent body temperature throughout all seasons and thus can also be termed as homeothermic.

Is Lodgepole chipmunk an omnivore?

A chipmunk belonging from the states of California, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and the Sierra Nevada are omnivorous in nature. They mostly survive on plant life (which includes pollen seeds, flowers, fungi, and leaves of certain trees and plants) and animal food (which includes eggs of birds, arthropods, and small invertebrates.  

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these norwich terrier facts and pygmy goat facts for kids.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lodgepole chipmunk coloring pages.