Climate Change Stresses Out These Chipmunks. Why Are Their Cousins So Chill?

Listen to Short Wave on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Kwasi Wresnford describes the genus Neotamius as "elfin": skittish little squirrel-cousins with angular faces, pointy ears and narrow, furry tails. Kwasi studies two species in particular that make their homes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California: the alpine chipmunk and the lodgepole chipmunk.

With the climate warming and high-altitude species especially vulnerable, the two species of chipmunk have developed different ways of coping. The alpine chipmunk has climbed higher, in search of the cooler habitat they are used to. The lodgepole chipmunk, on the other hand, continues to thrive in its historic habitat, which suggests it has developed resilience to changing conditions.

What does this natural experiment tell us about animals and climate? On this episode, Kwasi explains to Emily Kwong how these squirrelly critters typify two important ecological strategies, and why they could shed light on what's in store for other creatures all over the globe.

This episode was produced by Berly McCoy, edited by Gabriel Spitzer and fact-checked by Abe Levine. The audio engineer was Josh Newell.