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Kingdom – Animalia
Phylum – Cordata
Class – Mammalia
Order – Rodentia
Family – Sciuridae
Genus – Tamias
Vocabulary
Litter – several animals born at one
time to one mother
Burrow – an underground hole that an animal lives in
Predator – an animal that hunts other animals for food
Territorial – describes an animal that claims an area for itself
Chipmunks are a type of ground squirrel. All chipmunks have stripes on their faces. They weigh less than other ground squirrels. Size and weight differ by type. Their fur is in shades of red, brown, gray with some black and white.
Eastern Chipmunk: The Eastern Chipmunk is found in the eastern half of the United States in wooded areas. They live in large underground burrow systems.
Cliff Chipmunk: The Cliff Chipmunk is found in the mountains and canyons in Oregon, Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. They can be seen in the Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. These chipmunks will burrow underground or make nests in the cracks of a cliff face.
Townsend’s Chipmunk: The Townsend’s Chipmunk can be found in Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and along the Pacific Ocean. They prefer to burrow or live in yellow pine, redwood, hemlock, or fir trees.
Least Chipmunk: The Least Chipmunk can be found in more places than any other western chipmunk. They can be found in the sagebrush desert and mountains from North Dakota to New Mexico to Arizona, California and up to Washington. They can also be found in pine forests in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Chipmunks hibernate in winter, but they wake up every few days to eat food they have stored. They sleep mainly underground in burrows.
Each type of chipmunk has certain preferences, but in general they eat seeds, nuts, and berries. Some types eat cactus fruit, bird eggs, flowers, ants, millipedes, and grasshoppers.
The chipmunk has many predators. These include weasels, hawks, owls, coyotes, snakes, and foxes. Chipmunks can blend into the leaves, dry grass, and ground of their surroundings due to their coloring and stripes to hide from predators. They will often “freeze” in place to avoid danger.
Chipmunks communicate by making sounds like “chip, chip” or if upset “chuck-chuck”.
Chipmunk babies are born about one month after mating. Litters usually include 3-6 babies. They are born blind and hairless. They live underground with their mother for about 6 weeks. Then they spend about a month above ground before they are old enough to leave their mother. Chipmunk females usually mate twice a year. In the wild, a chipmunk’s average lifespan is 2-3 years.
Chipmunks have pouches (openings) in the back corners of their mouths. These are used for carrying food.
The Eastern Chipmunk’s heart beats nearly ten times as fast as a human heart – around 700 beats per minute. Use this mini book to record your heartbeat and a chipmunk's heart beat.
Differences Between Squirrels and Chipmunks
One difference between tree squirrels and chipmunks is that chipmunks have internal cheek pouches in which they can temporarily store food as they forage on the ground - using them like pockets - while tree squirrels don't (but ground squirrels do). Though chipmunks can climb trees, they are more ground-oriented than tree squirrels, typically living in burrows in the ground, especially in rocky areas and among tree roots.
Chipmunks and squirrels differ physically in several ways. A chipmunk can be identified by the five dark brown stripes that run from its head to its tail, which is often upright. A squirrel, meanwhile, has thirteen stripes in total that are also dark brown and run the length of its body. A squirrel does not, however, have stripes on its face. A chipmunk is also usually smaller than a squirrel. Squirrels can weigh between four and eight ounces, while chipmunks often weigh half that.
A chipmunk also has pouches inside its cheeks, which it uses for storing food like seeds, nuts and fruit while foraging. Tree squirrels do not have these pouches, though some ground squirrels do. Both animals hibernate, but while a squirrel usually eats more prior to winter to increase its body mass enough to sustain it through the long months, a chipmunk eats food stored in its pouches as well as in and around its burrow during that time.
Chipmunks and squirrels also prefer different habitats. A chipmunk can mostly be found in forested areas, where it can find trees and bushes that provide fruit, nuts and seeds. Ground squirrels, however, like to live in grassy areas, which why they are often seen in parks and golf courses. Chipmunks and squirrels also burrow differently. A squirrel’s burrow can be identified by the mound of dirt at its entrance, while a chipmunk’s burrow is clear of all dirt and is usually located at the base of a tree or bush.
Young Naturalist’s Field Guides: Rabbits, Squirrels, and Chipmunks by Mel Boring
Squirrels and Chipmunks by Allan Fowler (Rookie Read About Science)
Chipmunk Family by Lois Brunner Bastian
Chipmunk Song by Joanne Ryder
Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane by Victoria Sherrow
Chattering Chipmunks by Janet Piehl
Websites/Links:
Chipmunks Printout - labels and basic info
Facts with page about location map
Coloring page - realistic drawing