Colorado is home to five species of chipmunks; Colorado chipmunk, Hopi chipmunk, Uinta chipmunk, cliff chipmunk, and the least chipmunk. The most widespread chipmunk in Colorado is the least chipmunk.
Chipmunks differ from other striped squirrels (the golden-mantled and Pronghorn ground squirrels) by having stripes on the face. The larger chipmunks are up to nine inches long and weigh about two ounces. They have cheek pouches in which they carry food to store in the burrow.
Range
The Colorado chipmunk lives in southern Colorado and northward along the foothills of the Eastern Slope nearly to Wyoming. The Hopi chipmunk occurs on the Colorado Plateau. The Uinta chipmunk is a species of the central mountains. The cliff chipmunk occurs in northwestern Colorado.
Habitat
Chipmunks can live in a variety of habitats and are lively and familiar animals, active by day and tolerant of people. In fact, they readily become beggars in picnic grounds, but please do not feed the animals.
Diet
Their native diet is seeds, berries, flowers, and insects. Food is stored for winter, and the animals usually do not come above ground while the snow lies above their home.
Reproduction
Chipmunks have a single litter of five to eight tiny, naked young per year; born in early summer after a gestation period of about 30 days. The young are weaned 40 to 50 days old. Chipmunks are the smallest of ground squirrels, and Colorado is home to five species.