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GamesQuizzesPersonality QuizzesPuzzlesActionFunny Fill-InVideosAmazing AnimalsWeird But True!Party AnimalsTry This!AnimalsMammalsBirdsPrehistoricReptilesAmphibiansInvertebratesFishExplore MoreMagazinehistoryScienceSpaceU.S. StatesWeird But True!Subscribemenu Chipmunks feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store.

Chipmunks feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store.

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Although chipmunks hibernate, they do not store fat. Instead they slowly gnaw away at their summer bounty throughout the winter.

Although chipmunks hibernate, they do not store fat. Instead they slowly gnaw away at their summer bounty throughout the winter.

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Eastern chipmunk babies, called kits or pups, stay in the nest for up to six weeks. Found throughout eastern North America, these spring cuties have around four nest mates—and might have even more siblings in the summer when Mom has another litter!

Eastern chipmunk babies, called kits or pups, stay in the nest for up to six weeks. Found throughout eastern North America, these spring cuties have around four nest mates—and might have even more siblings in the summer when Mom has another litter!

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. The chipmunk’s main defense against predators is speed: sensing danger, it darts into a nearby tree hole or log for protection.

The chipmunk’s main defense against predators is speed: sensing danger, it darts into a nearby tree hole or log for protection.

Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.1 / 41 / 4Chipmunks feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store.Chipmunks feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store.Photograph by Bruce Shippee, Dreamstime

Animals
Mammals

Common Name: ChipmunksScientific Name: TamiasType: MammalsDiet: OmnivoreAverage Life Span In The Wild: 2 to 3 yearsSize: 4 to 7 inches; tail: 3 to 5 inchesWeight: 1 to 5 ounces

There are 25 species of chipmunk, 24 of which live in North America. 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.

Chipmunks hibernate in cold weather, which means they spend most of the winter sleeping in their dens. 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.