Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

The Eastern Chipmunk lives in wooded areas with deciduous trees, whether up here in the mountains, or in suburban areas with woods or parks around. They’re found throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. These Chipmunks like rocky areas, with brush piles, and dense shrubs to provide cover.

Small creatures, they are only 5 to 6 inches long, with a tail that is 3 to 4 inches long. Their average life span is less than 2 years but very fortunate Chipmunks could possibly live up to 8 years. Living those short years as solitary animals, with the exception of the breeding season.

Mighty fast! A chipmunk can run up to 21 miles per hour. Just try to get near one for a photograph, and you’ll see.

They eat grains, nuts, fruits, insects, and berries, using their inner cheek pouches as they are gathering their food. They store this food throughout their territory or in their underground tunnels. As winter approaches they stock up on more food.

During the cold of winter they will enter a state of torpor in their underground tunnels, with lower body temperature, lower heart rate, lower breathing rate and metabolic rate. Sleeping off and on during winter, waking occasionally to eat until spring finally arrives.

I’ll always remember when I lived in Arlington, Virginia, there was a family of Chipmunks that would frequent the area just outside our back door, Mom and Dad, and 2 little ones. What a treat to see!

_______________________________________________________________________

If you would like to receive my daily blog posts by email, sign up here!