Chipmunk / Tamias

The Chipmunk

  

 Their pudgy cheeks, large, glossy eyes, stripes, and bushy tails have made them a favorite among animators, and landed them a series of starring roles in Hollywood, known in the movie 'Alvin and the chipmunks'.

Chipmunks,are the smallest members of the squirrel family, they feed on nuts, berries, seeds, and grains. They stuff food into their cheek pouches and carry it to their burrows to store. They are omnivores and give birth to live young, they live up to 1-2 years.

Depending on species, chipmunks can be grey to reddish-brown in colour with contrasting dark and light stripes on the sides of their face and across their back and tail. 

Chipmunks generally gather food on the ground in areas with under-brush, rocks, and logs, where they can hide from predators like hawks, foxes, coyotes, weasels, and snakes. They feed on insects, nuts, berries, seeds, fruit, and grain which they stuff into their generous cheek pouches and carry to their burrow or nest to store. Chipmunks hibernate, but instead of storing fat, they periodically dip into their cache of nuts and seeds throughout the winter.

Although chipmunks hibernate, they do not store fat. Instead they slowly gnaw away at their summer bounty throughout the winter. 

Size relative to man:

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