Chipmunks are part of the squirrel family.  Eastern chipmunks are found in Asia and North America.  There are twenty-one kinds in North America and five kinds in Canada.
    Chipmunks have light and dark stripes on their heads and backs.  They look a lot like the ground squirrels.  Chipmunks look different because they are smaller and have the five stripes on their backs.  They live from 2-3 years in the wild.
    A chipmunk has lots of color on its body.  The eastern chipmunk has a deep, reddish-brown on its tail and back end.  It has black, gray, and beige stripes up its back and head.  Its belly is white and its feet are brown.  It is a very pretty animal.
    These chipmunks like to live in the woods or in low shrubs.  They like pine forests and rocky places, too.  In the daytime, they move around in places where there are a lot of low-growing plants.  These will protect them from their enemies.  They usually live alone and build their nests underground.  Their burrows are built with long tunnels the connect different rooms.  When they build them, they sometimes make more than one way to get out in case they are in danger.  Their enemies are hawks, weasels, coyotes, martens, foxes, and snakes.  Chipmunks are always on the look-out for enemies.
    The nest is usually made of grass and shredded leaves.  The chipmunk hoards nuts under the nest so that it's handy when he gets hungry during the winter. 
    At the end of July, chipmunks start to fatten up for the winter.  They also store seeds and nuts in their burrows.  The animal has to have enough food stored to last the winter.  Many chipmunks die because they can't get enough food stored.  The chipmunk is adapting to its climate because they can't find nuts, seeds, and berries after it snows.
    When winter begins, the chipmunk goes into its burrow to stay.  They go into torpor.  Their heartbeats and breathing slow down and their body temperatures drop really low.  With their bodies slowing down so much, the chipmunk needs less food to stay alive.  These "sleep" times might last a few days, a week, or more.  Chipmunks are able to wake up, eat some stored food, and then go back to sleep. 
    When the weather warms up, the male chipmunk will stop hibernating first.  February to April and June to August are the mating seasons.  A female is pregnant for one month and then gives birth to a litter of 4-5 babies.  In 6-8 weeks, the babies leave their mothers.

Back to Hibernation or Torpor