# Chipmunk (*Tamias striatus*)

> Chipmunks are small, striped members of the squirrel family native mainly to North America. The eastern chipmunk has bold dark-and-cream stripes down its back, large cheek pouches for carrying food, and lives in burrows. It hoards seeds and nuts for winter, spends the coldest months in a sleepy, torpid state underground, and typically lives 2 to 3 years in the wild.

- **Category:** Mammal
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Least Concern
- **Range:** Deciduous forests, woodland edges, and suburbs across eastern North America, from southern Canada through the eastern United States.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chipmunk/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Mammalia
- **Order:** Rodentia
- **Family:** Sciuridae
- **Genus:** Tamias

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Tamias striatus |
| Diet | Omnivore (seeds, nuts, fruit, insects) |
| Habitat | Deciduous forest, woodland edges, suburbs |
| Lifespan | 2–3 years wild (up to 8) |
| Weight | 70–140 g (2.5–5 oz) |
| Top speed | 33 km/h (21 mph) |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Cheek pouches and hoarding

A chipmunk's most useful tool is its pair of stretchy cheek pouches, which can expand to carry surprising quantities of seeds and nuts back to the burrow — a single chipmunk can stash thousands of food items over a season. Rather than building up body fat like a true hibernator, it relies on these underground larders to survive winter, waking periodically to eat from its stored supplies.

## Burrows and winter torpor

Eastern chipmunks dig extensive burrow systems with tunnels, sleeping chambers, and storage rooms, often with well-hidden entrances. Through the coldest months they enter torpor, dropping their body temperature and heart rate to save energy, but they are not deeply asleep all winter — they rouse to feed on their hoard and may emerge on mild days.

## Diet and behaviour

Chipmunks are omnivores that eat seeds, nuts, berries, fungi, buds, and insects, and occasionally bird eggs or small invertebrates. They are mostly solitary and territorial, active by day, and use a range of sharp 'chip' and 'chuck' calls to warn of predators such as hawks, foxes, snakes, and domestic cats.

## Range and role

The eastern chipmunk lives across eastern North America in deciduous forests, woodland edges, parks, and suburban gardens, while many other chipmunk species live in western North America and one in Asia. By burying and forgetting some of their seed caches, chipmunks help plant new trees, making them important seed dispersers in forest ecosystems.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a group of chipmunks called?

A group of chipmunks is called a scurry. Chipmunks are mostly solitary and territorial, so they are usually seen alone rather than in groups, and a baby chipmunk is called a pup or kit.

### Do chipmunks hibernate?

Chipmunks enter a state called torpor through winter rather than true deep hibernation. They lower their body temperature and heart rate but wake periodically to feed on the seeds and nuts stored in their burrow.

### What do chipmunks eat?

Chipmunks are omnivores that eat seeds, nuts, berries, fungi, and buds, along with insects and occasionally bird eggs. They carry food in their cheek pouches to store underground for winter.

### Why do chipmunks have big cheeks?

Chipmunks have stretchy cheek pouches used to carry large amounts of food back to their burrows. This lets them gather and store seeds and nuts quickly while staying alert to predators.

### Are chipmunks and squirrels the same?

Chipmunks are members of the squirrel family but are a distinct group. They are smaller, have facial and body stripes, spend more time on the ground, and store food in burrows rather than living mainly in trees.

## Sources

- [IUCN Red List — Tamias striatus.](https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Tamias%20striatus&searchType=species)
- [Animal Diversity Web — Tamias striatus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.](https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tamias_striatus/)
- [Wikipedia — Chipmunk.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_chipmunk)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/chipmunk/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.