J&T's Critter Care & Wildlife Education Center
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Chipmunks
Least Chipmunk
Eutamias minimas (Tamias minimas)
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Mammilia
Class: Rodentia
Family: Scuiridae
Genus: Tamias
Species: minmus
Chipmunks
Chipmunks are members of the squirrel family. So, if you are like me & love to see the squirrels running around, you probably like to watch these little characters too!
There are 15 species of native chipmunks of the genus Eutamias & 1 of the genus Tamias that are found in North America This will mainly focus on the 2 most common species – the Eastern chipmunk, which is the one we have in our area – Tamias striatus & the Least chipmunk (Eutamias minimas) from the west.
Behavior is similar between chipmunks & squirrels, control efforts & prevention methods are similar.
The Eastern Chipmunk – Tamias striatus
Characteristics
The Eastern chipmunk is a small, brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel. They are typically 5 to 6” (13-15cm) long and weigh about 3 oz (90g). The Eastern chipmunk has 2 tan & 5 blackish longitudinal stripes that end at the reddish rump. The tail is 3-4” (8-10cm) long & hairy, but their tail is not bushy.
Range
The Eastern Chipmunk range covers most of the Northeastern United States & south to
Habitat
Deciduous forest, edges of woodlands, woodlot edges,, but they will also inhabit areas in & around suburban & rural homes.
Mating
Eastern chipmunks mate 2 times a year, during early spring, and again during summer, or early fall. They have a 31 day gestation period. They have 2 to 5 young. The young are born in April – May, and again in August – October. The young are born naked, blind, & weigh about 3g. Hair on the babies becomes visible at about 10 days. The ears are closed until about 28 days. The eyes open 31-33 days of age. The young are sexually mature at about 1 yr of age. Adults may live about 3 yrs in the wild.
The Least Chipmunk – Eutamias minimas
Characteristics
The Least chipmunk is the smallest of the chipmunks. They are usually 3 & 2/3” – 4 & ½” (9-11cm) long and weigh about 1-2oz (35-70g). Their color varies from a faint yellowish gray with tawny stripes (around the Badlands, SD) to a grayish, tawny brown with black stripes (
Range
The Least Chipmunks range includes most of
Habitat
Least Chipmunks like to inhabit areas of sagebrush deserts, high mountain coniferous forests, & northern mixed hardwood forests.
Mating
Least Chipmunks mate over a period of 4-6 wks from April – mid-July. They produce 1 litter of 2-7 young in May or June. Occasionally, they will have a 2nd litter in the fall.
Chipmunks in General
Chipmunks use its front paws & sharp teeth to prepare food for storage. When startled, chipmunks carry their tail upright. They have a sharp “chuck-chuck-chuck” that may be a call that is used when startled. They also have a “chip-chip” sound that is said to be what they are named for.
Home range for chipmunks may be up to ½ acre (0.2ha), but the adult only defends a small area right around its burrow entrance – approximately 50ft.
Chipmunks are most active in the early morning & late afternoon. It spends a lot of its awake time gathering & storing food for the winter.
Chipmunks are solitary animals, except during courtship, or when a mother is rearing its young.
Chipmunk Burrows
Entrances to chipmunk burrows are well-hidden. They are usually near objects such as buildings, stumps, wood piles, brush piles, basements or garages. The entrances are usually about 2” (5cm) in diameter. No obvious mounds of dirt will be found around their burrow entrance. The chipmunk takes the dirt in its cheeks, into the pouches, & takes it out of the burrow & scatters it away from its home. It does this to make its home less obvious to predators & others. The main tunnel is about 20-30ft (6m-9m) in length. They have complex burrow systems when there is less cover for them. Their burrowing systems include: a nest chamber, 1-2 food storage chambers, several side pockets connected to the main tunnel and several separate escape tunnels. So, as you can see, it could be very difficult to locate a chipmunk down in its burrow, if you did find it! When the cold weather begins, chipmunks enter into a restless hibernation – being mainly inactive from late fall through the winter months. They do not enter deep (true) hibernation, but rely on their cache of food they have brought to their burrow to get them through the window. Some chipmunks will come out of their burrows on sunny days in winter. Most chipmunks will emerge from their winter hibernation in early March.
Chipmunk Pups
The pups will appear above ground when they are 4-6 wks old. At that time, they are about 2/3 the size of an adult. Young will leave the burrow at 6-8wks of age.
Population Densities
Approximately 2-4 animals live in an acre area (5-10ha). However, the Eastern Chipmunk’s population may be so high, that there are as many as 10 animals per acre (24/ha), if there is sufficient food & cover available. Home ranges of the animals often overlap.
Diet & Feeding
Chipmunks are omnivores. They eat a variety of foods, including grains, nuts, acorns, corn, berries, seeds, mushrooms, snails, insects, carrion, even small mammals, such as young mice. They will also prey on bird eggs & young birds. Although, they are mainly ground dwelling rodents, they regularly climb trees in the fall to gather nuts, fruits & seeds. The chipmunk caches foods in its burrow throughout year. The food is carried in its cheek pouches. The size of the chipmunks cheek pouches increase with age.
A
The chipmunk is usually considered a minor pest. When they are present in large numbers, they can cause structural damage by burrowing under patios, stairs, retention walls, or foundations. They also may consume flower bulbs, seeds, seedlings, as well as, bird seed, grass seed, & pet food that is not stored in rodent-proof bins.
In
Hardware cloth may also be used to exclude chipmunks from flower beds. Seeds & bulbs can be covered by ¼” (0.6cm) hardware cloth & the cloth itself should be covered with soil. The hardware cloth should extend at least 1 foot (30cm) past each margin of planting.
Landscaping features, such as, ground cover, trees & shrubs, should not be planted in a continuous manner – connecting wooded areas with foundations of home. This gives chipmunks areas to hide & burrow. With open areas between, they are more likely to stay in wooded areas to burrow.
Place feeders 15-30 ft (5-10m) away from buildings so spilled bird seed does not attract & support chipmunks near them.
The chipmunk also promotes the growth of various plants by storing & scattering the seeds.
Predators of Chipmunks
Chipmunks also have a variety of predators. Some of these predators include hawks, weasels, coyotes, martens, foxes & snakes. Occasionally owls will take chipmunks, but this is more of a rare incident since chipmunks are usually diurnal & most owls are nocturnal. There are a few owls that will hunt in the day. Chipmunks also fall prey to cats, dogs & many are killed by vehicles.
Resources
Chimunk.pdf
Chipmunks ADM-2.pdf
Hinterland Who’s Who – Chipmunk
NatureWorks – Chipmunk
Pictures from the internet. Not my picture. I claim NO copyright to the photo. I did however, put all this together, from months of research. I used websites & books & have listed my resources. They are awesome websites & should be visited.