Least Chipmunk in Wisconsin

Neotamias minimus

Native to Wisconsin S3 Vulnerable in Wisconsin

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

Rare in Wisconsin 52nd most recorded of 75 mammals logged in Wisconsin

16 occurrence records

16 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

16 total records count every Wisconsin occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 15; the monthly chart covers the 15 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Least Chipmunk in Wisconsin

Most sightings fall in August.

15 Wisconsin occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Wisconsin records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	0
April	1
May	1
June	1
July	2
August	7
September	1
October	2
November	0
December	0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Wisconsin, with recorded sightings peaking in August.

Occurrence map

Where Least Chipmunk has been recorded in Wisconsin

15 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

15 Wisconsin records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Headwaters Wilderness	3
Nicolet National Forest	1
Northern Highland State Forest	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 Wisconsin

County	Records
Forest County	6
Vilas County	4
Adams County	2
Bayfield County	2
Langlade County	1
Other localities	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 5 Wisconsin counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Wisconsin has only 16 Least Chipmunk records since 2000, all from iNaturalist and 12 of them also shared to GBIF, with most dated to July and August. They come from Forest, Vilas, Bayfield, and Langlade counties in the north, plus Adams County in the central sands, and Headwaters Wilderness is the most-reported named place. Because Wisconsin lies near the edge of the species’ range, photo identity and locality deserve more weight than a generic habitat inference.

The records confirm what collections or contributing datasets have reported, not Least Chipmunk abundance. Collection history, possible identification confusion with Eastern Chipmunks, and uneven survey effort can create both clusters and gaps, so the records are not a population estimate.

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 Wisconsin 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"