Striped, vocal, and unmistakable. Eastern chipmunks excavate intricate burrow systems with multiple chambers — sleeping room, food cache, latrine, escape tunnels — and can store 5,000+ acorns and seeds for winter.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The eastern chipmunk is a chipmunk species found in eastern North America. It is the only living member of the genus Tamias.
Source: Wikipedia — Eastern chipmunk Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small striped ground squirrel with 5 dark stripes.
Similar species. Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel (13 stripes).
Voice. Sharp chirps.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Seeds, nuts, fruits, insects.
Behavior. Stores 8,000+ seeds per fall. Lives in elaborate burrow systems.
§ Range
Eastern North America from Quebec to Louisiana
§ Habitat
Deciduous forests, forest edges, suburban yards with rock walls
§ Threats
Outdoor cats (a major mortality factor), vehicle strikes, displacement by introduced fox squirrels.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the eastern chipmunk is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Keep cats indoors. Plant native nut-producing trees (oak, beech). Drive carefully on rural neighborhood roads.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Eastern chipmunk
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Tamias striatus
- IUCN Red List · taxon 42583
- iNaturalist · taxon 46031
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Tamias striatus
§ Sources cited
- NWF Wildlife Guide
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List 2016
