California mammals

Merriam's chipmunk in California

Neotamias merriami

Native to California SNR Unranked in California

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

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (9-21-09) cottonwood springs, carrizo plain national monument, slo co, ca -01 (3947880249)Neotamias merriamiCHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (5-26-13) saucito ranch, carrizo plain nat mon, slo co, ca (1) (9058618231)CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (9-30-09) cottonwood springs, carrizo plain national monument , slo co, ca -01 (9645843318)Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER · CC0CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (9-21-09) cottonwood springs, carrizo plain national monument, slo co, ca -01 (3947880249)Photo: Greg Schechter · CC BY 2.0Neotamias merriamiPhoto: ALAN SCHMIERER · CC0CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (5-26-13) saucito ranch, carrizo plain nat mon, slo co, ca (1) (9058618231)Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER · CC0CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (9-30-09) cottonwood springs, carrizo plain national monument , slo co, ca -01 (9645843318)Photo: Annette Herz · CC BY 4.0Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)Photo: James M. Maley · CC BY 4.0Merriam's Chipmunk (Neotamias merriami)

Merriam's chipmunk in California, by the numbers

Common in California 37th most recorded of 241 mammals logged in California

3,076 occurrence records
2,928 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

3,076 total records count every California occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 3,074 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Merriam's chipmunk in California

Most sightings fall in April to July.

3,074 California occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly California records (table)
MonthRecords
January111
February147
March184
April354
May493
June431
July353
August238
September237
October231
November157
December138

Monthly merriam's chipmunk occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in California, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in California, with recorded sightings peaking in April–July.

Occurrence map

Where Merriam's chipmunk has been recorded in California

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 California records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
San Gabriel Mountains National Monument 251
San Bernardino National Forest 208
Pinnacles National Park 163
Hain Wilderness Area 130
Big Basin Redwoods State Park 59
Burleigh H. Murray Ranch 57
Cleveland National Forest 55
Golden Gate National Recreation Area 46

Protected places with the most merriam's 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 California

CountyRecords
Santa Clara County 560
San Mateo County 412
Los Angeles County 384
San Benito County 346
Santa Cruz County 288
San Diego County 249
Riverside County 219
Santa Barbara County 173
Monterey County 124
San Bernardino County 93
Ventura County 67
Kern County 56
9 other counties 105

The complete county distribution, spread across 21 California counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Merriam’s chipmunk reports favor California’s brushy slopes and open woodland, especially through the southern Coast Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. The pattern skirts the hottest desert floor and the broad, intensively farmed Central Valley.

Observations climb quickly in April, peak in May and June, and taper through summer. Spring growth and mild weather bring activity into view, while popular trails add observer effort. Dense clusters identify well-watched uplands, not necessarily the places holding the most chipmunks.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist.

CHIPMUNK, MERRIAM'S (tamias merriami) (9-21-09) cottonwood springs, carrizo plain national monument, slo co, ca -01 (3947880249)
Full species profile Merriam's chipmunk Neotamias merriami Size 13.5 cm5.3 in Weight 72 g2.5 oz View the full profile

More mammals in California 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"