Chipmunks are among the cutest little critters in the wild. So cute there have been several movies made with chipmunks playing starring roles.
Part of the squirrel family, chipmunks are fast and love to collect and store food for winter. Chipmunks have several nicknames such as striped squirrels, ground squirrels munks and chippers.
Chipmunks are brownish in color with two white stripes on their head - one above the eye and one below the eye. They have five black lines with white striping down their backs, a short rounded head and tiny ears.
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Chipmunks live in open woods in brushy areas building nests with leaves inside the burrows.
Chipmunks make a bird-like chirp when they sense danger. They also chirp for mating purposes. Chipmunks sit upright and eat their food with their two front feet like squirrels. During the day chipmunks rest; they are more active in the early morning and late afternoon hours.
Chipmunk cheeks are always full of fruits, nuts, berries, bird eggs, acorns, small frogs and mice. They are hoarders always hiding their food.
Gathering food is top priority for chipmunks. They stuff food into their cheeks where special pouches help them store a lot of food there. Being primarily ground-dwellers chipmunks are often seen in tree branches or roof tops in search of food. They do not seem to mind the water and can swim when needed.
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Merry Beth Ryan, a member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association, can be reached at www.merrybethryanphotography.com, by e-mail at mbr1965@comcast.net or by phone (941) 544-5023.
They build burrows to live in, and store food, with several different well-concealed entrances. There are no noticeable mounds of dirt near the entrances because they scatter it on the ground away from the burrow making it less conspicuous.
Chipmunks live in open woods in brushy areas building nests with leaves inside the burrows. They also may build nests in hollow logs or even the eaves of your home. They are constantly on the lookout for predators such as the hawk, owls and house cats.
Chipmunks dig up gardens and get into camps and homes and are capable of causing structural damage. Especially in cold weather, chipmunks will try to enter your home through cracks and any small hole they can find to get inside.
They can be destructive pests when they multiply around homes and gardens. They have been known to dig up and eat bulbs and seeds.
Florida State Parks are great homes to chipmunks but they do not sit still and can be hard to spot. They often blend in with the woods around them, which helps to protect them from predators.
