During the winter Eastern Chipmunks (Tamias striatus) enter a restless "hibernation" and are relatively inactive from late fall through the winter months. The Chipmunk doesn't truly hibernate, but it does spend a lot of time sleeping. It may wake up every few weeks to eat the food it has stored in their burrow. Most Chipmunks emerge from their "hibernation" in early March.This week we fully welcome back the Chipmunk!
This Chipmunk spends a large part of its waking hours gathering and storing food. They are also very vocal and can be heard chattering as they gather food. In fact, they get their name Chipmunk from the "chip-chip" sound that they make!
Chipmunks are omnivores. Most of their diet is made up of nuts, acorns, seeds, mushro
oms, fruits, and berries. It also eats insects, bird eggs, and even young birds. As it forages, it crams food into pouches in its cheeks. Once these pouches are full, the Chipmunk returns to its burrow and stores the food in an underground chamber.
The Chipmunk's burrow consists of a complex of tunnels with two or three burrow entrances hidden under a rock, log, or bank. The main nest chamber is about 10 inches in diameter and is lined with dried leaves and may be as much as 3 feet below the ground and 6 - 12 ft away from the burrow entrance. Other chambers are dug for food storage and for disposal of excess soil from tunnel building.
Chipmunks mate in early spring. The female usually has two litters a year of 4-5 young. The first will be born in April and the second litter will be born in August. The young chipmunks are born with their eyes closed. They open their eyes at 30 days old and will come above ground when they are about six weeks old. By 2 months of age they are weaned and independent.
To learn more about the Eastern Chipmunk check out the Smithsonian nature book by Dr. Lawrence Wishner: Eastern Chipmunks: Secrets of Their Solitary Lives.
