Least Chipmunk in South Dakota

Neotamias minimus

Native to South Dakota S5 Secure in South Dakota

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

Common in South Dakota 6th most recorded of 100 mammals logged in South Dakota

872 occurrence records

872 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

872 total records count every South Dakota occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 823 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Least Chipmunk in South Dakota

Most sightings fall in June to September.

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

Monthly South Dakota records (table)

Month	Records
January	1
February	1
March	6
April	9
May	87
June	178
July	215
August	151
September	129
October	40
November	6
December	0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in South Dakota, with recorded sightings peaking in June–September.

Occurrence map

Where Least Chipmunk has been recorded in South Dakota

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 South Dakota records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Mount Rushmore National Memorial	146
Black Hills National Forest	141
Badlands National Park	134
Black Elk Wilderness	48
Custer State Park	39
Jewel Cave National Monument	24
State Recreation Area	12
Wind Cave National Park	6

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 South Dakota

County	Records
Pennington County	370
Custer County	258
Jackson County	107
Lawrence County	79
Meade County	5
Brule County	1
Shannon County	1
Fall River County	1
Other localities	50

The complete county distribution, spread across 8 South Dakota counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Least chipmunks are principally western South Dakota mammals associated with the Black Hills and nearby broken country. They use rocky slopes, shrub edges, open pine woods, and sunny clearings.

Where to look

Search open, rocky Black Hills habitat rather than relying literally on the generated reservoir locations, which reflect reporting patterns. Quiet trails with logs, brush, and seed-producing plants are best.

They are easiest to find from spring through early autumn and much less visible during winter dormancy. June through September leads available reports.

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 South Dakota 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"