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Chipmunk Facts & Worksheets

Chipmunks are small, striped rodents that belong to the family of Sciuridae.

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Chipmunks are small, striped rodents that belong to the family of Sciuridae. Chipmunks are primarily found in North America, but the Siberian chipmunk was found originally in Asia. Its nickname is “hackee.”

See the fact file below for more information on chipmunks or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Chipmunk worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Introduction

  • Chipmunks are delightful little critters that are fascinating to watch in parks, woods, and sometimes even in your backyard.
  • They are small rodents, reddish-brown to gray in color, and easily identified by their chubby cheeks, striped backs, and bushy tails.
  • They only grow to about 6 in (15 cm) and only weigh about 3 oz (85gr). One would probably fit in your teacup.
  • There are 25 species of chipmunk, and all but one live in North America.
  • One other species is native to northern Asia.

Taxonomy

  • Chipmunks may be identified either as a single genus or three genera. 
  • The single genus is called Tamias. 
  • The three genera are called Tamias (Eastern chipmunk), Eutamias (Siberian chipmunk), and Neotamias (23 species which are mostly Western).
  • Tamias is Greek for “treasurer”, “steward”, or “housekeeper”, which refers to the chipmunk’s habit of gathering and storing food for wintertime.
  • The word chipmunk originates from the Odawa (Ottawa) word jidmoonh meaning “red squirrel.”

Habitat and Diet

  • The Siberian chipmunk is native to northern Asia. It is found in central Russia, China, Korea, and northern Japan.
  • The other 24 species of Chipmunk are found in the USA from Canada all the way down to Mexico.
  • Some dig burrows with many tunnels and chambers to live in, while others make their homes in fallen logs, bushes, or holes under houses.
  • Chipmunks most commonly inhabit mature hardwood forests with open spaces.
  • The eastern chipmunk, which lives throughout eastern North America, prefers deciduous and mixed forests.
  • Chipmunk burrows are a maze of interconnected tunnels that run 12 – 30 feet long (3.5 – 9 mt).
  • They have different rooms in their tunnels for giving birth, storing food, and for sleeping. 
  • The way they store their food is called “larder hoarding” or “scatter hoarding.”
  • Chipmunks are omnivores which means they eat both plants and meat.
  • Their preferred food is seeds, nuts, fruits, and buds.
  • While chipmunks also feed on grass, fungi, and many plant shoots and roots, they also enjoy feasting on insects, tiny frogs, arthropods, worms, and bird eggs.
  • When around human development, they will feed on cultivated grains, vegetables, and garden plants, which is why they are considered pests.
  • Chipmunks mostly look for food on the ground; however, they also climb trees to collect nuts such as acorns and hazelnuts.
  • As autumn creeps in, chipmunks begin to store food that does not easily rot or spoil, which they will eat during winter.

Life History

  • Chipmunks are solitary creatures with interactions generally only taking place during mating and between a mother and her litter.
  • Chipmunks reach sexual maturity at about one year of age.
  • They mate and have their babies from February until April.
  • Females choose and prepare a nursery while pregnant, lining it with grass and/or leaves. 
  • After a 30-day gestation, a litter is born.
  • Eastern chipmunks produce four or five babies twice a year, in early spring and summer.
  • Western chipmunks produce babies only once a year.
  • Newborn chipmunks are minute, blind, and hairless.
  • Mothers feed the pups for up to 2 months, but the young chipmunks usually start venturing out of their burrows at around six weeks. 
  • They can live independently after two weeks out of the burrow.
  • The lifespan of a chipmunk is three to nine years.
  • When threatened, chipmunks alert each other and hide. 
  • Chipmunks move quickly, so running and hiding is their defense to escape from predators.

Ecology

  • The chipmunks’ role in the forest ecosystem is very important. Their role in collecting and stocking tree seeds plays a significant part in seedling development.
  • They eat many different kinds of fungi, including those participating in symbiosis with trees.
  • Chipmunks are significant for scattering the spores of subterranean sporocarps (truffles), which have co-developed with them and other fungi-eating mammals.
  • These sporocarps have lost the ability to disperse their spores through the air by themselves, so chipmunks dispersing them is valuable.
  • Chipmunks are preyed upon by owls, hawks, foxes, raccoons, and coyotes.
  • Chipmunks build spacious burrows, called dens, which can be more than 3.5 meters in length with several hidden entrances.
  • The rooms for sleeping in their burrows are kept very clean, with feces being deposited in reject tunnels.
  • Chipmunks are territorial creatures and defend an area of around half an acre from their burrows.
  • A single chipmunk will store up to 8 lb (3.6 kg) of food in its burrow.
  • Chipmunks put leaves and grass in their burrows to make them comfortable.

Species

  • Palmer’s genus, endemic to Nevada, is the most endangered species of chipmunk.
  • The Eastern chipmunk is the largest species.
    • It can grow up to 11 inches long and can weigh up to 4.4 ounces.
    • the eastern chipmunk, which lives throughout eastern North America, prefers deciduous and mixed forests.
    • The eastern chipmunk hibernates in burrows through the winter months.
  • The Western chipmunk is smaller. 
    • It can grow up to 8.5 inches long and can weigh up to 1.8 ounces.
    • western chipmunks do not hibernate, so they depend on food stored in their burrows to feed themselves during the winter months. 
  • The Least chipmunk is the smallest chipmunk and also the most widespread in North America.

Other Interesting Chipmunk Facts

  • Chipmunks look like squirrels, but they are different because they burrow in the ground and store food in their neatly arranged burrows.
  • Chipmunks are very talkative, and they make bird-like sounds and many different movements when communicating with each other.
  • The cheeks of a chipmunk can expand up to three times the size of its head. They have pouches on their cheeks that hold their food until they reach their burrows to store it.
  • Chipmunks are active early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They like to curl up and sleep at night.
  • Chipmunks are loners.
  • Chipmunks take 75 breaths every minute.
  • A single chipmunk can collect up to 165 acorns in one day.

Did You Know?

  • Male chipmunks are called “bucks”.
  • Female chipmunks are called “does”.
  • Baby chipmunks are called “pups”.
  • A group of chipmunks is called a “scurry.”
  • Chipmunks are notorious for being great at escaping, so when kept as pets, they need properly enclosed and secured cages.
  • Chipmunks have long been popular animals in children’s entertainment. Have you heard “Alvin and the Chipmunks” singing? Have you watched Disney’s cartoon chipmunks “Chip ‘n Dale”?

Chipmunk Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about chipmunks across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Chipmunks worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about chipmunks, which are small, striped rodents that belong to the family of Sciuridae. Chipmunks are primarily found in North America, but the Siberian chipmunk was found originally in Asia. Its nickname is “hackee.”

Complete List of Included Worksheets

  • Chipmunk Facts
  • True Chipmunks
  • My Chipmunk Sketch
  • Hungry Chipmunk
  • Burrow Sweet Burrow
  • Describing Chipmunks
  • Number Match
  • Chipmunk Crossword
  • Eastern vs. Siberian
  • Modified True or False
  • Chipmunk Story

Frequently Asked Questions

Are chipmunks good pets?

Chipmunks are not aggressive creatures, but they will scratch or bite if they feel threatened. They are also known to carry diseases such as rabies and plague; therefore, removing chipmunks from the wild is not advisable. Always get pets from a trustworthy source.

Why do chipmunks have chubby cheeks?

Chipmunks have pouches inside their cheeks. When gathering nuts and acorns to store in their tunnels, they pop the food into the pouches in their cheeks. The pouches fill up with food giving chipmunks the chubby cheek look.

What is a group of chipmunks called?

A group of chipmunks is called a scurry. A male chipmunk is called a buck, a female is called a doe, and a baby is called a pip. 

Can chipmunks see in the dark?

Yes, chipmunks can see in the dark. However, they prefer to sleep when it gets dark and are most active during the day.

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Link will appear as Chipmunk Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 2, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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