Fun Facts Friday - What Am I?

Chuck-chuck-chuck.’

What’s that sound? It’s coming from an old log. As you search the sound changes.

'Chip-chip-chip.’

Now it’s fast and high-pitched. Suddenly, there’s a rustling of leaves. With lightening speed and a blur of racing stripes it zips past and disappears down a hole.

What Am I?

A Chipmunk!

There is about twenty-one different species of chipmunks living all over the United States and Canada. These rodents are closely related to the squirrel. How can you be sure what you saw was a chipmunk? It’s easy. Chipmunks are smaller (8-10 inches long) and have black and white ‘racing’ stripes down their grey and reddish colored backs. Also, those weird hiccup-like noises you heard are unique to the chipmunk. It’s his way of trying to ‘scare’ you away form his home.

Chipmunk Chambers

These hard-working rodents prefer to make their homes under the ground. They dig out long tunnels that lead to a sleeping chamber. Here, there’s a soft bed made from leaves, grasses or the fluff from seed heads. They also dig out another area to keep food in. Since chipmunks stay under the ground all winter long, they need to collect lots of food when the weather is warm.

Cheeky Chipmunk

Have you ever stuffed so much food into your mouth at once, that your cheeks puffed out? Chipmunk cheeks are extra stretchy so they can do just that. The chipmunk is constantly searching for his favorite foods of nuts, berries, acorns and seeds. They also like a bit of meat, so they’ll eat bugs and worms as well.

Once his cheeks are full, he quickly bounds back to his den to unload his haul.  The chipmunk may have to travel a ways from his den to find food, so these built in ‘storage compartments’ come in handy.

So next time your at the park, in the woods or even in someone’s back yard, keep your eyes peeled and your ears perked. You never know one of these cute little rascals might just pay you a visit.

Colour your own chipmunk by printing out our Chipmunk Colour Page!