Chipmunk

The chipmunk is a small rodent that can do many different things, such as climb trees and store food in its cheeks. A chipmunk looks very similar to the squirrel, but the chipmunk has a series of stripes that line its body. The chipmunk's life span is about 2-4 years or more in the wild. The chipmunk is one of the few animals in the wild that can be easily hand-fed.

Anatomy
The Chipmunk's fur is a reddish-brown, with white and black stripes that run from the nose to the base of the tail. Their tails are long and bushy, and are about half of their body's size. Chipmunks are about 5-8 inches long, not including the tail. The Chipmunks can produce a loud chipping noise or a trill, which most people mistake for a bird call. 

Reproduction
Breeding often takes place in the early spring near the female's burrow. The males will compete with other males to get the right females. Also, it is not uncommon for the males to breed with more than one female. When the 30 day gestation period is complete, the female will produce a litter of 4-6 naked and blind young. When the young are 10 days old, they start to grow hair. By the 28th day of the youngs' life their ears open, and at 33 days the eyes will open. After about 4-7 weeks, the young will start to forage on their own. In about five months the young have started to mature into adult size, and will be ready to breed the following spring. 

Eating Habits
A chipmunk spends a lot of its time collecting and storing food. The creatures can be found on the ground foraging for seeds, and can also be found climbing trees to harvest nuts and fruits. It is not uncommon for a chipmunk to eat bird eggs, insects, worms, and mushrooms.

Burrows
A chipmunk's burrow is made up of a series of many intricate tunnels and chambers below ground level. The chipmunk will hide the entrances to its burrows. The entrances can be found under rocks or in bushes. At the lowest point of the chipmunk's burrow is the chipmunk's nesting area, which is lined with grasses and leaves. Just below the nesting area is where the chipmunks store their food.

Ecology
The chipmunk prefers deciduous forests more than any other, because they are loaded with plenty of beech and oak trees, and may be seen most often around the edges of woods, where the chipmunk can forage into surrounding habitat in order to add to their ladder. If you live in a place with any size of woods, then you are most likely to see these wonderful creatures. These animals may be experts at climbing trees, but they make their homes on the ground in wood piles, in piles of rocks, and fallen trees.