Overview of the Chipmunk

Chipmunks are small striped squirrels. They are native to North America and most of Asia. They are omnivorous creatures, with a diet of berries, bird eggs, fruit, fungi, grain, insects, nuts, worms, as well as small frogs and rarely small mammals like young mice.

At the start of fall, chipmunk begin to stockpile and hoard their food into burrows. This is intended for use during winter, and is called larder hoarding. Some chipmunk species will even have several small caches of food. This is called scatter hoarding. These two kinds of behavior are called larder hoarding and scatter hoarding. The large cheek pouches for which chipmunks are know, allow them to carry several pieces of food for storage in their borrow, or consumption.

Chipmunks fulfill a variety of important functions in the forest. Their harvesting and hoarding of nuts and seeds is crucial. They also are important in dispersing spores of things like truffles (which lost their ability to disperse spores through the air). The burrows of chipmunks are over 10 feet in length. The sleeping section is very clean, with shells and feces stored in refuse tunnels.

About the Author
Jacob Maddox manages content for Wildlife Animals http://www.wildlife-animals.com an educational wildlife and animal website. Jacob also guest writes for Dog Pound http://www.dog-pound.net