California mammals

Sonoma Chipmunk in California

Neotamias sonomae

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.

Sonoma Chipmunk in California, by the numbers

Common in California 58th most recorded of 241 mammals logged in California

1,316 occurrence records
1,028 with iNaturalist photos

Records from 2000–2026.

1,316 total records count every California occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300; the monthly chart covers the 1,313 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Sonoma Chipmunk in California

Most sightings fall in May to July.

1,313 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
January30
February48
March73
April140
May211
June241
July224
August136
September110
October55
November29
December16

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

Seasonality

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

Occurrence map

Where Sonoma 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
Golden Gate National Recreation Area 371
Point Reyes National Seashore 121
Phillip Burton Wilderness Area 79
Mount Tamalpais State Park 38
Robert Louis Stevenson State Park 10
Clear Lake State Park 5
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park 5
Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve 4

Protected places with the most sonoma 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
Marin County 933
Lake County 114
Mendocino County 60
Sonoma County 60
Siskiyou County 54
Napa County 33
Colusa County 28
Yolo County 8
Trinity County 8
Shasta County 6
Solano County 6
Humboldt County 3
Other localities 3

The complete county distribution, spread across 12 California counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Sonoma chipmunk reports trace a narrow northern California story through brush, woodland, and forest edges. Point Reyes and Golden Gate put observers close to suitable coastal habitat, while the Channel Islands sit outside the chipmunk’s natural mainland setting.

Observations build through spring and peak in June, staying high into July before falling through autumn. Winter records are sparse but don’t disappear completely. Mild coastal weather can keep some animals and hikers active, while the summer surge also reflects longer days and heavier use of park trails.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

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"