Siberian Chipmunk

Coat and looks how to spot one

Short, dense fur with bold back stripes

A small, striped ground squirrel with a total length of 18 to 25 cm, about a third of it tail. Five dark stripes alternate with four pale ones down its yellow-brown back, set off by a white chest and belly. Captive animals commonly live 6 to 10 years, compared with 2 to 5 in the wild.12

Personality what they are like

A lively, alert daytime squirrel that spends a lot of time grooming itself. It is mostly independent, giving a quick 'cheep' when startled, and becomes calmer and more sleepy in the cold months.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Active in daylight; a strong climber as well as a ground forager, so it needs space to run, climb and dig. In winter it naturally slows down and rests for long periods, waking now and then to eat.2

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Grooms itself constantly and needs no brushing. It hoards food, so stores should be checked and refreshed.2

Home where they are happiest

Within the EU, keeping new animals, breeding and trading are restricted under the invasive species rules. Naturally lives on forest floors with plenty of cover, around rocks and in taiga and temperate woodland, climbing well and storing food in burrows.12

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous: tree seeds such as pine seeds, grains, fruit, fungi, roots and insects, with occasional small animal prey. It caches food for winter.12

Company who they like around

Mostly solitary in the wild, though animals may share burrows in winter and occasionally groom each other.12

The story where it all began

Native to northern Asia, the Siberian chipmunk became a common pet in Europe after South Korea exported more than 200,000 animals between 1960 and 1980. Released and escaped pets founded wild colonies in several countries, which led the EU to add the species to its invasive species list in 2016.1

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Wild species assessed as Least Concern1

European Union

On the list of invasive alien species of Union concern since 2016, so within the EU it may not be imported, bred, transported, sold or released1