The next time you hear the chipmunk/squirrel dispute, you’ll be able to smile because you know the difference! So, now you know about chipmunks and squirrels. Urban development and other species such as the Eastern Gray Squirrel threatens the habitat of the less adaptable Western Gray Squirrel. The Western Gray Squirrel is shy and generally runs up a tree while chirping hoarsely when frightened. Unlike the invasive Eastern Gray Squirrel, our native Western Gray Squirrel’s coat is “counter shaded” with true gray with a white underbelly and white edged tail.
Its body is approximately 12” long with a matching length bushy tail carried upwards in an “S” shape. WESTERN GRAY SQUIRREL ( Sciurus griseus)is the largest tree squirrel in the Pacific Northwest. Another omnivore, these squirrels eat insects, carrion, eggs, baby birds, tree sap and fungi. Its coloring is a creamy light underbelly and medium brown or dark grey back. This adaptation is useful as it is a nocturnal animal, gliding in its dark forest environment. Two unique features are its wide flat tail and large dark eyes. NORTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL ( Glaucomys sabrinus) at only 10-12” in total length is the smallest tree squirrel in Washington. This squirrel is the “noisiest squirrel” by making warning calls to other animals. They store green cones and nuts to eat during the winter. The habitat is the coniferous forest and it’s usually found on the ground eating seeds from conifers such as Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and Shore Pine.
Including the 5-7” bushy tail, the overall size is 10 -14”. One identifying feature is the small ear tufts appearing in the winter. Both sexes hibernate after storing seed to eat the following spring.ĭOUGLAS SQUIRREL ( Tamiasciurus douglasii) body color is an overall red or brown grey fading into a reddish brown in the middle of the back. As an omnivore, it isn’t fussy about what it eats! The ears are large, dark in front and white in the back. This chipmunk is among the smaller chipmunks at only 7-9” long. Two of the five head stripes on either side are very white. The outer two stripes are almost white, and the two inner stripes are grayer. YELLOW-PINE CHIPMUNK ( Neotamias amoenun) has five long dark-colored body stripes alternating with four light-colored stripes. Active all year in our mild climate, it is an omnivore and eats a variety of foods including plants and insects. For a chipmunk, it’s large, often 14” from tail to nose. The stripes are deep brown alternating with tan. Its fur has an overall reddish mahogany color. TOWNSEND’S CHIPMUNK ( Neotamias townsendii) is one of the two most common chipmunks in our county. It lists five squirrels and chipmunks breeding in Grays Harbor County. I looked to the Northwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (NWGAP), site info at, which maps and assesses biodiversity within Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming. Tree squirrels are the largest animals of the three groups and don’t have stripes on heads or bodies.The squirrels’ colors range from reds to greys. Ground squirrels look like chipmunks but are missing the stripes on their heads.They are basically brown in color, ranging from reddish to grey/brown. They have stripes on their heads, backs and tails. Chipmunks are small striped squirrels, and they are native to North America.What ARE the main differences between squirrels and chipmunks? Since I was the only tall person around, they looked to me to solve the argument. I overhead a heated exchange between two youngsters…
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