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They will help themselves to any fruits and vegetables that are available. You may find chipmunks eating pet food from outdoor bowls and stealing seeds straight from bird feeders.Īdditionally, these pests can become a nuisance if you have a garden. However, they may expand their palette in close proximity to humans if the opportunity arises. With a supply of food at the ready, they rarely venture out in the winter.Ĭhipmunks naturally eat nuts, seeds, mushrooms, berries, plant bulbs, insects, bird eggs, and snails. In colder months, the chipmunk will spend most of its time in the burrow. But the small openings can lead to an extensive system that may be up to three feet deep and 30 feet long. In most cases, the chipmunk will have one entrance open and keep the others covered with leaves to deter unwelcome guests. It is not uncommon for the chipmunk to have multiple openings into its burrow system. The hole to a chipmunk burrow may only be approximately one to two inches wide. Throughout the warm months, the critters will spend their time building up stores of nuts and seeds to eat throughout the winter. Chipmunks build elaborate burrows with nesting rooms and storage rooms.

But on warm days, chipmunks may wake up to forage for food outside.Ī chipmunk’s burrow is a key part of its existence. From late fall to early spring, the pests spend the majority of their time sleeping underground. Throughout the cold weather, chipmunks try to conserve energy. Instead, they try their best to avoid chilly conditions in a state of rest. Because chipmunks nest in burrows, you aren't likely to spot baby chipmunks until they look like smaller adults.Īlthough they can live longer in captivity, most wild chipmunks only live for two years.Ĭhipmunks do not hibernate! But you may rarely see these pests during winter. In time, their sealed eyes will open, and their ears will fully develop. At that point, the female may give birth to a litter of two to six kits. But the Eastern Chipmunk often breeds a second time in late summer to produce an additional litter.įor both types of chipmunks, the gestation period lasts approximately 30 days. Typically, both species breed in the spring. That means that these creatures are most active throughout the day and rest at night.Ĭhipmunks can give birth to one or two litters each year. But you’ll only find Eastern chipmunks east of the Mississippi River.īoth species of chipmunks are diurnal. Least chipmunks have an expansive range across north-central and the western U.S. These include the Eastern chipmunk and the least chipmunk. In the U.S., there are two types of chipmunks commonly encountered. They can be found in forests, areas dense with shrubbery, or other ground covers that are ideal places for chipmunks to scavenge while avoiding predators.

Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items.Ĭhipmunks are known for being cute little woodland creatures. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links.

Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels.

I call every chipmunk I’ve ever met Chippy. But they freeze, every muscle tense, ready to run frantically if I get any closer.(Here’s some audio of their sound repertoire, courtesy of WiIdlife of CT). I assume the squeaks I hear as I walk are squeaks of alarm-a human is coming! Somehow, it amuses me that they would be so fearful-of me? I try to talk to them sometimes, putting on my most soothing voice. But fears of a chipmunk home invasion don’t keep me up at night. Various articles online warn about the potential for garden mayhem or even structural damage.