Chipmunks (Neotamias sp.) are small ground squirrels with stripes on the side of the face. Most have stripes on the back too, but some species do not (or they don't show very well). The important point to remember about identifying chipmunks is that they have stripes on the face. Other small ground squirrels, such as White-tailed Antelope Squirrels (which many people call "chipmunks"), do not have facial stripes.

Also, almost all chipmunk species live in the trees rather than on desert flats.