Chipmunk Facts

About the chipmunk

Chipmunks belong to the squirrel subtribe Tamiina. Nearly all species live in North America, while the Siberian chipmunk lives mainly in Asia. The word chipmunk dates to the 19th century, and other names have included ground squirrel, chipping squirrel, chipmuck and chitmunk, although ground squirrel can also mean squirrels from other genera.

Their diet is mostly seeds, nuts, fruit and buds, but they also eat other plants, insects, worms, small frogs, fungi, nestlings and bird eggs. That wide taste extends to grains and vegetables people grow, so chipmunks count as pests in some areas. Many stuff food into cheek pouches and haul it home to their burrows, to eat or save for winter, and the stored seeds help new seedlings and fungi spread through forests.

Did you know?

• The Siberian chipmunk is the only chipmunk found mainly outside North America.
• Chipmunks sometimes eat bird eggs and nestlings.
• By storing seeds, chipmunks help forests grow new seedlings.