{"id":107040,"date":"2022-10-09T03:47:18","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T09:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=107040"},"modified":"2022-10-09T03:47:18","modified_gmt":"2022-10-09T09:47:18","slug":"cuddling-uinta-chipmunks-in-the-wasatch-mountains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/10\/09\/cuddling-uinta-chipmunks-in-the-wasatch-mountains\/","title":{"rendered":"Cuddling Uinta Chipmunks In The Wasatch Mountains"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"UintaUinta Chipmunks cuddling on a cool fall morning \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

On my most recent trip to the Wasatch Mountains, I relished the fall colors, a Ruffed Grouse<\/span><\/a>, and a pair of cuddly Uinta Chipmunks. I see and photograph Least Chipmunks far more often than I do Uinta Chipmunks. I adored seeing this pair of chipmunks, especially since they were being cuddly with each other.<\/p>\n

\"TwoTwo Uinta Chipmunks in a chokecherry \u2013 Nikon D500, f8, 1\/1000, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The chipmunk on the left must have had some food item stored in its cheek pouch because it started nibbling on something while the other chipmunk looked on.<\/p>\n

\"CuddlingCuddling Uinta Chipmunks \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

After the chipmunk on the right was through eating it didn’t take long before these two were cuddling each other again.<\/p>\n

\"NuzzlingNuzzling Uinta Chipmunks \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I loved seeing the chipmunk on the right softly nuzzling the other one as they perched precariously on the limbs of the chokecherry.<\/p>\n

\"CuddlyCuddly Uinta Chipmunks \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/640, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

And then to my surprise they rubbed their furry little heads together while the chipmunk on the right reached out to the other one with its tiny paw.<\/p>\n

It might be anthropomorphizing, but it appeared to me that these small creatures enjoyed each other’s touch. Much like most humans need and enjoy being touched.<\/p>\n

\"UintaUinta Chipmunk in a chokecherry \u2013 Nikon D500, f10, 1\/1250, ISO 500, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When one of the Uinta Chipmunks took off to forage for food this one stayed perched on the chokecherry branch for a bit.<\/p>\n

\"UintaUinta Chipmunk foraging in a chokecherry \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The other chipmunk had run up the chokecherry in search of food and it didn’t take long before it found some overripe chokecherries.<\/p>\n

\"Peek-a-booPeek-a-boo Uinta Chipmunk \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

When the other chipmunk moved up the tree I followed it through my viewfinder thinking it might do something cute. When the tiny creature stopped moving it looked like the chipmunk was playing peek-a-boo.<\/p>\n

\"UintaUinta Chipmunk sniffing a chokecherry \u2013 Nikon D500, f7.1, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

It looked like it was playing peek-a-boo again when it stretched out to sniff a ripe chokecherry. An American Robin flew into the chokecherry and both the Uinta Chipmunks<\/span><\/a> scurried away when it landed.<\/p>\n

It was so much fun to photograph these chipmunks, and seeing the pictures at home made me smile, laugh, and experience those moments once more.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

I am 98.9% certain these are Uinta Chipmunks because they both have dark ears, their tails have orange and black fur, with a paler fringe of hair on the underside and their outermost stripes are white bordered by brown, not black, as they would be with Least Chipmunks.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Uinta Chipmunk photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On my most recent trip to the Wasatch Mountains, I relished the fall colors, a Ruffed Grouse, and a pair of cuddly Uinta Chipmunks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":107013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4594,11868,26,773],"tags":[4004,970,6577,4383,5352,6754,6531,12943,13362,4620,6583,7533,13361,6895,6532,7282,3826,3827,7532,7281],"class_list":["post-107040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-morgan-county","category-uinta-chipmunks","category-utah","category-wasatch-mountains","tag-adult","tag-autumn","tag-branches","tag-chipmunk","tag-chipmunks","tag-chokecherries","tag-chokecherry","tag-cuddling","tag-cuddly","tag-fall","tag-leaves","tag-tamias-umbrinus","tag-nuzzling","tag-peek-a-boo","tag-prunus-virginiana","tag-prunus-virginiana-demissa","tag-squirrel","tag-squirrels","tag-uinta-chipmunk","tag-western-chokecherry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/uinta-chipmunk-chokecherry-mountains-mia-mcpherson-9290.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-rQs","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":90046,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/06\/08\/uinta-chipmunks-in-the-high-uinta-mountains\/","url_meta":{"origin":107040,"position":0},"title":"Uinta Chipmunks In The High Uinta Mountains","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I spent yesterday morning traveling Mirror Lake Highway in the Uinta Mountains and came home with a few photos of Uinta Chipmunks.","rel":"","context":"In "Summit County"","block_context":{"text":"Summit County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/summit-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pair of Uinta Chipmunks, Uinta Mountains, Uinta National Forest, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/uinta-chipmunks-uinta-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/uinta-chipmunks-uinta-mountains-mia-mcpherson-5018.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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There are many reasons to appreciate these furry, four legged, cute creatures.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "Box Elder County"","block_context":{"text":"Box Elder County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/box-elder-county-utah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baby Uinta Ground Squirrel calling from a rock, Wasatch Mountains, Summit County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/uinta-ground-squirrel-baby-calling-mia-mcpherson-4066.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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