Chipmunk North America

Chipmunks are part of the squirrel family, and while they look similar to their bushy-tailed cousins, chipmunks are actually smaller, with alternating light and dark stripes along their cheeks and backs.There are 25 species of chipmunk, 24 of which live in North America. The only chipmunk that doesn’t live in North America is the Asiatic chipmunk, which can be found in northern Asia and parts of Eastern Europe. 

Chipmunks are excellent tree climbers and swimmers who live in a variety of habitats, including
plains, mountains, forests, and deserts. Chipmunks like to live alone in holes or burrows called dens. Their dens can be dug under tree roots, rocks, or nestled inside old logs.  The chipmunk’s den contains at least two rooms, or chambers. One chamber houses a cozy leaf-lined nest; the other, a storage pantry for the chipmunk’s favorite foods, including nuts, seeds, and grains.

Chipmunks hibernate in cold weather, which means they spend most of the winter sleeping in their dens. Unlike other animals that hibernate, chipmunks don’t pack on extra body fat in preparation for winter. Instead, chipmunks rely on stored food—which they transport back to the den in pouches inside their cheeks—to provide the calories they will need to survive.

One chipmunk can gather up to 165 acorns in a day. In just two days, a chipmunk can collect enough food to last an entire winter, although chipmunks typically hoard much more food than necessary.Chipmunk young are born in late spring, and stay in the nest for up to six weeks. Female chipmunks have one or two litters per year, each with four or five babies. 

FAST FACTSThe scientific name of the eastern American chipmunk is Tamias striatus.Chipmunks are small compared to their squirrel relatives. The eastern American chipmunk, found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, is the largest species of chipmunk at 8.9 to 10.6 inches (22.5 to 26.8 centimeters) and around 4.4 ounces (125 grams). The western and Asiatic chipmunks are much smaller.

The chipmunk’s predators include a variety of birds, snakes, and other small animals, like foxes and coyotes. The chipmunk’s main defense is speed: sensing danger, it darts into a nearby tree hole or log for protection.

The chipmunk “chirps” when it senses a threat. Wild chipmunks live for two to five years, or longer in rare cases. Chipmunks in captivity can live eight years or more.