The small, striped chipmunk is a familiar figure across North America, but its presence in Mississippi is localized. The Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), the only species found in the eastern United States, is native to parts of the state. Its distribution is not uniform, and many sightings across Mississippi are likely other small, fast-moving rodents.
The Eastern Chipmunk’s Geographic Range
The Eastern Chipmunk’s established range extends from southeastern Canada through much of the eastern and central United States. This range reaches its southwestern limit in areas including eastern Louisiana, the Florida Panhandle, and Mississippi. Within Mississippi, the chipmunk is generally found across the state, excluding the southeastern coastal plain.
Population density is highest in the northern and eastern parts where the landscape and forest type are more favorable. A sighting in the northern hills is far more probable than one along the Gulf Coast.
Common Misidentifications in Mississippi
Seeing a small, quick, ground-dwelling rodent often leads to misidentification of a chipmunk in Mississippi. The state is home to several squirrel and rodent species easily confused with the striped animal.
Juvenile tree squirrels are a frequent source of error due to their small size and ground foraging habits. Eastern Gray Squirrels and Fox Squirrels are common statewide, and their young are small, fast, and lack the fluffy tail of adults. Chipmunks are visually distinct because they possess five dark, longitudinal stripes running down their back and sides, which also extend onto their face. Tree squirrels, conversely, have no stripes on their bodies or faces.
Other common cases of mistaken identity involve voles and shrews, which are also small and terrestrial. Voles, sometimes called field mice, are stockier than chipmunks and lack prominent stripes, having a much shorter tail. Shrews are even smaller than chipmunks and are distinguished by a long, pointed snout and tiny eyes, contrasting with the chipmunk’s rounded face and distinctive facial markings.
Ecological Factors Limiting Distribution
The biology of the Eastern Chipmunk explains why its distribution is limited to certain areas of the state. Chipmunks prefer mature deciduous woodlands, especially those with an open understory, where they can easily find and cache food. They are ground-dwelling and require habitat features like stumps, logs, and rocky outcrops to create underground burrows.
The presence of mast-producing trees, such as oaks and hickories, is directly correlated with population density, as they rely on these nuts and seeds for winter food caches. The southern coastal plain features warmer, more humid conditions and different forest types. These conditions are less suitable for the chipmunk’s specific hibernation and foraging needs, as they enter a state of restless hibernation relying on stored food, a behavior less common in the mildest southern climates.