Idaho mammals

Least Chipmunk in Idaho

Neotamias minimus

Native to Idaho S5 Secure in Idaho

Not listed as nonindigenous in Idaho by USGS NAS; native to its Idaho range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: John D Reynolds · CC BY 4.0Least Chipmunk in natural habitatPhoto: Daughter Dad · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk moving through low grassPhoto: Syd Cannings · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk foraging in green groundcoverPhoto: Daughter Dad · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk among dry leavesPhoto: Pete Schwartz · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk at the edge of open cover

Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) — Photo: John D Reynolds · CC BY 4.0Least Chipmunk in natural habitatPhoto: Daughter Dad · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk moving through low grassPhoto: Syd Cannings · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk foraging in green groundcoverPhoto: Daughter Dad · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk among dry leavesPhoto: Pete Schwartz · CC BY 4.0Least chipmunk at the edge of open cover

Least Chipmunk in Idaho, by the numbers

Common in Idaho 34th most recorded of 123 mammals logged in Idaho

219 occurrence records

Records from 2000–2026.

219 total records count every Idaho occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 217; the monthly chart covers the 217 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Least Chipmunk in Idaho

Most sightings fall in July to August.

217 Idaho occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Idaho records (table)

Month	Records
January	6
February	1
March	4
April	6
May	19
June	27
July	47
August	58
September	28
October	19
November	2
December	0

Monthly least chipmunk occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Idaho, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Idaho, with recorded sightings peaking in July–August.

Occurrence map

Where Least Chipmunk has been recorded in Idaho

217 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

217 Idaho records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Craters of the Moon National Monument	8
City of Rocks National Reserve	7
Boise National Forest	4
Craters Of The Moon National Monument	2
Portneuf Wildlife Management Area	2
Sawtooth Wilderness	2
Caribou National Forest	1
Market Lake Wildlife Management Area	1

Protected places with the most least chipmunk sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Idaho

County	Records
Bannock County	46
Butte County	27
Bear Lake County	25
Cassia County	20
Fremont County	20
Custer County	17
Blaine County	10
Boise County	7
Bonneville County	6
Lincoln County	6
Caribou County	5
Power County	5
13 other counties	25

The complete county distribution, spread across 25 Idaho counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Least chipmunks are the smallest chipmunk species in North America and among the most adaptable, turning up along the Snake River corridor and the wetland edges of Deer Flat and Camas national wildlife refuges, a wider habitat range than most of Idaho’s other chipmunk species tolerate.

Records climb sharply into an August peak, more than 50 times the February low, tracking the heart of the active season when this day-active forager is out gathering seeds before winter hibernation. Every one of Idaho’s 219 records comes through GBIF specimen data, and NatureServe rates the species secure (S5) statewide.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist.

Full species profile Least Chipmunk Neotamias minimus Size 10–11 cm3.9–4.3 in Weight 41–47 g1.4–1.7 oz Lifespan Up to 10 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Idaho in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"