Chipmunks: seed eaters and more

I paid a visit to the National Park Service Ranger Station in Barryville, NY last week, and there on a rock was a chipmunk that seemed to be contemplating how to get in the building. One of the rangers told me later that it did occasionally find its way in.

Chipmunks can be found in almost every habitat in the region, from mixed forests to backyard gardens. The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) weighs in at 4.5 ounces and averages about 10 inches in length. Its name comes from the “chip-chip” sound it makes while foraging. Noteworthy are the five black stripes on their backs, and the ability to carry an enormous amount of food in their cheeks.

The chipmunk is known for eating nuts and seeds. It is an omnivore, however; it will take insects and small vertebrates such as salamanders and young mice. A friend recently witnessed a chipmunk taking a leopard frog about one-quarter its size.

A large portion of the seeds and nuts a chipmunk finds gets stored in its underground den for winter use. A chipmunk doesn’t actually go into deep hibernation during winter; it spends a lot of time sleeping in the den, but wakes up at intervals to snack on the food it stored during the year.

A female may have two litters per year, the first from April to May and the second from July to August. The young are weaned after six weeks, when they first venture out of the den. Their average lifespan is three years.