Tag Archives: Eastern Chipmunk

How Do They Spend The Winter

A painting of an Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), which I did for my Mom and Dad many years ago.

The Eastern Chipmunk is a very entertaining little creature who has quite the expandable set of cheeks, great for stuffing with seeds, peanuts, and acorns, and transporting them to their den. Storing them for their winter slumber.

Notice I used the word slumber. They don’t actually hibernate, but sleep for extended periods of time during the winter, waking every few weeks during the frigid months. They’ll munch on what they’re stowed away in the various rooms of their den, even perhaps stepping outside for a short stroll when the weather has a tiny bit of warmth to it. Their winter meals consist of things that won’t spoil from extended time, mostly nuts and seeds.

Their den is a two level series of rooms with food in the bottom level and sleeping space, lined with grass and leaves on the top level. This living space is more than ten feet long and three feet deep. Pretty nice for the solitary chipmunk.

Wondering if they are already in their dens or still scurrying about. Probably not. It’s still pretty warm.

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Alvin?

Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus)

The Eastern Chipmunk lives in wooded areas with deciduous trees, whether up here in the mountains, or in suburban areas with woods or parks around. They’re found throughout the eastern United States and southern Canada. These Chipmunks like rocky areas, with brush piles, and dense shrubs to provide cover.

Small creatures, they are only 5 to 6 inches long, with a tail that is 3 to 4 inches long. Their average life span is less than 2 years but very fortunate Chipmunks could possibly live up to 8 years. Living those short years as solitary animals, with the exception of the breeding season.

Mighty fast! A chipmunk can run up to 21 miles per hour. Just try to get near one for a photograph, and you’ll see.

They eat grains, nuts, fruits, insects, and berries, using their inner cheek pouches as they are gathering their food. They store this food throughout their territory or in their underground tunnels. As winter approaches they stock up on more food.

During the cold of winter they will enter a state of torpor in their underground tunnels, with lower body temperature, lower heart rate, lower breathing rate and metabolic rate. Sleeping off and on during winter, waking occasionally to eat until spring finally arrives.

I’ll always remember when I lived in Arlington, Virginia, there was a family of Chipmunks that would frequent the area just outside our back door, Mom and Dad, and 2 little ones. What a treat to see!

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