Eastern Chipmunk

The Eastern Chipmunk is a small rodent found in North America. It’s one of about 25 Chipmunk species. The Eastern Chipmunk is characterized by a long tail, reddish-brown fur on the back with five contrasting stripes. A tawny stripe goes from the whiskers to below the ears; light stripes go over the eyes of the Eastern Chipmunk. These animals inhabit woods and urban parks in the eastern USA and southern Canada and prefer rocky areas with shrubs.

The diet of the Eastern Chipmunk consists of a variety of mushrooms, fruits, nuts, plants, worms, frogs, insects, and occasionally bird eggs. These animals spend much time foraging for food. The Eastern Chipmunk is a common prey for raccoons, weasels, foxes, hawks, snakes, and cats.

The Eastern Chipmunk is usually observed in the daytime climbing trees, but it lives in underground tunnels. Eastern Chipmunks build long and extensive tunnels themselves. They make several entrances and separate rooms for sleeping and for storing food. To hide the entrances in the burrow, Chipmunks carry the dirt to different locations. They make a soft lining in the burrow with leaves and moss. In summer, these animals gather much seeds, nuts, grain, and other food in the burrow and stay in the burrow throughout winter. They don’t actually hibernate, but enter a period of torpor. Occasionally, they wake up to eat.

Eastern Chipmunks are solitary animals, except for the breeding season. In this species, there are two breeding seasons a year: from February to April and from June to August. Females manage to raise two litters of 4-5 babies a year. Chipmunk babies are quick to mature. At the age of 6-8 weeks they are able to find food independently and leave the mother.

The lifespan of the Eastern Chipmunk is about a year in the wild. Some animals live for 2 or 3 years. In captivity, these animals live up to 8 years. The main threats for the Eastern Chipmunk are predation of many animals and birds and habitat destruction. Still, high adaptability and reproduction rate put the Eastern Chipmunk at the Lower Risk (Least Concern) group of wildlife species.