| Red-tailed chipmunks sandbathe to clean their fur, rolling and rubbing, sometimes half-buried in sand. They are rarely seen outside their burrows on cold winter days, but in the spring they are out and about, eating seedlings, leaves, and flowers on the forest floor and also foraging in trees. Young chipmunks leave the nest when they are 30-45 days old. The mother stays nearby and calls to them constantly while they are exploring. Individuals can live as long as 8 years in the wild, although most do not live that long.
Also known as:
Rufous-tailed Chipmunk, Coeur d'Alène Chipmunk
Sexual Dimorphism:
Females are slightly larger than males.
Length:
Average:
235 mm
Range:
223-248 mm
Weight:
Average:
57 g males; 58 g females
Range:
53-59 g males; 54-62 g females
References:
Howell, A.H., 1920. Description of a new chipmunk from Glacier National Park, Montana, p. 91. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 33:91-92.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
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