Least Chipmunk in Montana

Neotamias minimus

Native to Montana S5 Secure in Montana

Not listed as nonindigenous in Montana by USGS NAS; native to its Montana 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 Montana, by the numbers

Common in Montana 36th most recorded of 122 mammals logged in Montana

126 occurrence records

126 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

126 total records count every Montana occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 119; the monthly chart covers the 119 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Least Chipmunk in Montana

Most sightings fall in June to August.

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

Monthly Montana records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	0
April	4
May	8
June	23
July	29
August	30
September	17
October	7
November	1
December	0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Montana, with recorded sightings peaking in June–August.

Occurrence map

Where Least Chipmunk has been recorded in Montana

119 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

119 Montana records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Makoshika State Park	16
Glacier National Park	13
Bannack State Park	2
Gallatin National Forest	2
Big Hole National Battlefield	2
Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area	1
Montana State Trust Lands	1
Calf Creek 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 Montana

County	Records
Carbon County	19
Dawson County	18
Beaverhead County	14
Glacier County	10
Flathead County	10
Fergus County	5
Gallatin County	5
Sanders County	5
Missoula County	4
Lewis and Clark County	4
Ravalli County	4
Phillips County	3
11 other counties	25

The complete county distribution, spread across 23 Montana 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 from Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge’s high-elevation basin to the shoreline woods of Flathead Lake and brushy stretches of the Missouri River corridor, a wider habitat range than most of Montana’s other chipmunk species tolerate.

Records climb from April into a late-summer high, 29 in July and 30 in August, tracking the heart of the active season when this day-active forager is out gathering seeds before winter hibernation. All 126 of Montana’s records are iNaturalist observations, with Carbon and Dawson counties holding the most and Makoshika State Park the most reported single place. NatureServe rates the least chipmunk secure (S5) across Montana.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

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 Montana 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"