The young are sexually mature within 1 year. Two to 5 young are born in April to May and again in August to October. Most chipmunks emerge from hibernation in early March.Eastern chipmunks mate two times a year, during early spring and again during the summer or early fall. Some individuals become active on warm, sunny days during the winter. Chipmunks do not enter a deep hibernation as do ground squirrels, but rely on the cache of food they have brought to their burrow. Burrow systems normally include a nesting chamber, one or two food storage chambers, various side pockets connected to the main tunnel, and separate escape tunnels.With the onset of cold weather, chipmunks enter a restless hibernation and are relatively inactive from late fall through the winter months. In most cases, the chipmunk’s main tunnel is 20 to 30 feet (6 m to 9 m) in length, but complex burrow systems occur where cover is sparse. There are no obvious mounds of dirt around the entrance because the chipmunk carries the dirt in its cheek pouches and scatters it away from the burrow, making the burrow entrance less conspicuous. The burrow entrance is usually about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. Chipmunk burrows often are well hidden near objects or buildings (for example, stumps, wood piles or brush piles, basements, and garages). Chipmunks are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Chipmunks are generally solitary except during courtship or when rearing young.The home range of a chipmunk may be up to ½ acre (0.2 ha), but the adult only defends a territory about 50 feet (15.2 m) around the burrow entrance. In Missouri they are the most common in the Ozarks.Įastern chipmunks typically inhabit mature woodlands and woodlot edges, but they also inhabit areas in and around suburban and rural homes. The eastern chipmunk’s range includes most of the eastern United States as far west as Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. Red squirrels spend a great deal of time in trees, while chipmunks spend most of their time on the ground, although they can climb trees. It is larger than the chipmunk, has a bushier tail and lacks the longitudinal stripes of the chipmunk. The red squirrel is very vocal and has a high-pitched chatter. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel’s call sounds like a high pitched squeak, whereas chipmunks have a rather sharp “chuck-chuckchuck” call. When startled, a ground squirrel carries its tail horizontally along the ground the chipmunk carries its tail upright. As this squirrel’s name implies, it has 13 stripes extending from the shoulder to the tail on each side and on its back. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is yellowish, lacks the facial stripes, and its tail is not as hairy as the chipmunk’s. The tail is 3 to 4 inches (8 to 10 cm) long and hairy, but it is not bushy.Chipmunks are often confused with thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), also called “striped gophers,” and red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). The longitudinal stripes end at the reddish rump. It has two tan and five blackish longitudinal stripes on its back, and two tan and two brownish stripes on each side of its face. It is typically 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm) long and weighs about 3 ounces (90 g). The eastern chipmunk is a small, brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel. The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is the most widely distributed and notable species in Missouri. Their habit of digging for food and to excavate burrows can lead to conflicts with property owners.įifteen species of native chipmunks of the genus Eutamias and one of the genus Tamias are found in North America. The chipmunk is a small, ground-dwelling rodent that occurs throughout Missouri but is most common in the Ozarks.
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