What Do Chipmunks Eat?

Chip 'n Dale were probably the first chipmunks I got a glimpse of in my childhood days. I took an instant liking for chipmunks right then. The stories of these cute and cuddly characters always revolved around the different ways to procure food and hide it. This of course often invited opposition from the very adorable Donald duck. I remember thinking about the appetite that these chipmunks have for nuts and other food items. Episode after episode they would attempt to hide varied food items and never tire of it. Was this all that they ever did? Which brings me to the question - have you ever wondered what do chipmunks eat? Interestingly, these creatures are known to eat a variety of foods. Let's take a look at the kinds of food that chipmunks eat and provide you with some other facts about them as well.

Chipmunks - What they Eat

Chipmunks are basically omnivorous. Which means that they eat both plants and animals.Chipmunk food therefore naturally consists of a lot of variety. Chipmunks primarily eat nuts and seeds, insects, different types of grains, the eggs of certain birds, small birds (rarely), various types of fungi and worms, varied plants and grasses and raw vegetables and fruits.

Chipmunks will also require small insects in their diet. These include mealworms, crickets, maggots and grasshoppers. While they hunt for all these in their natural habitat, in case of pet chipmunks, make sure that there are no insecticides and pesticides on the plants that they eat from. This can be very harmful and even fatal for them.

Other than the natural foods that they eat, it has also been observed that they enjoy quite a few varieties of 'human food' (for the lack of a better term). They have been known to eat bread dough, sugar, cookies, baked goods, bread pieces, chips and the like. While they eat all these items with great zest, their intake has to be carefully monitored. Too much sugar or bread can be quite harmful for their system and bones, thus causing them great harm. This stands especially true of people who are planning to keep them as pets. Chipmunks, which are in contact with humans, will even eat odd tidbits that are handed out by humans. This is one thing I have particularly noticed because I do have one such visitor in my terrace apartment. This little chipmunk is ready to have any bits and bites of my breakfast item.

Here is a list of the items that chipmunks eat:

Bird seeds Bananas (dried or fresh) Apples Peas Tomatoes Grapes

Sweet corn Cucumber Dried apricots Sunflower seeds Mushrooms Berries

Thistle Oats Raisins Dandelion Small birds Bird eggs

Grasshoppers Mealworms Crickets Maggots Flowering bulbs of certain plants Different types of grass

Chipmunks look amazingly cute when they eat. Have you noticed? Their common posture for the same is sitting on the hind legs and pulling up the front legs to double up as paws. The food is held in these paws (much like hands) and is eaten like thus.

This species follows the habit of storing food for the winter season and that is why you will find them constantly foraging for food. They carry the food collected in the pockets of their cheeks (which are quite large and allow for storage of a large number of food items.) and store it during the autumn season. They are also quite aggressive in their behavior when it comes to hunting for food. It has been observed that when hunting for bird eggs, the chipmunks will hide in a spot for the mother to leave before attacking the eggs.

Interesting Facts about Chipmunks

The following are certain interesting facts on the chipmunks. Read through these and I'm sure you'll find them rather endearing.

Originally, the name 'chipmunk' may have been spelled 'chitmunk', which means the red squirrel. Some of the other versions of the names include - chipmuck and chipminck. In the 1830s, they were also known as chip squirrels.

Chipmunks use sounds as well as gestures to communicate. They use a variety of sounds for the same. One of these could be the loud chip-chip-chip combined with a strong beating of the tail.

Chipmunks are found in a wide variety of habitats. They basically inhabit hardwood forests because they love to feast on nuts. Chipmunks are also found in areas which have a lot of shrubs and green cover. Thus they are also a common sight in city gardens and other places which have a lot of trees.

The chipmunk lives in the ground by digging burrows or tunnels into the soil. These burrows are generally two inches in diameter. Chipmunks use their front paws (which have sharp claws) to dig the burrows. They, however, do not leave any mound of dirt around the burrows. These burrows also have other exit areas for the chipmunks. They serve as a place to rest and also double up as a storage area for food.

Generally, chipmunks line the bottom of the burrow with leaves and grasses. This is done to provide a comfortable area to rest.

Chipmunks are also known to dig separate burrows after the main burrow. The first tunnel which is dug is known as the working tunnel. This is where the chipmunks rest as well as use it to give birth to young ones. The other rooms are used to store food.

The number of rooms or spaces in a tunnel or burrow depends upon each chipmunk. Sometimes, certain chipmunks may have only one chamber whereas some may prefer to dig additional rooms.

The mating period for a chipmunk begins from the month of February to April. Chipmunks have around 4 - 5 young ones, twice in a year. It is the female chipmunk that carries the grass and the leaves to their young ones. Baby chipmunks are carefully watched over by mother chipmunks especially when they step out of their burrows.

The chipmunks are definitely very interesting creatures. If you're planning to get one as a pet or are trying to figure out what to feed the consistent visitor on your kitchen window, now you know. Just remember never to overfeed the chipmunks. Also, if you are supplying them with food, do it every alternate day. This will help keep their natural hunting instinct alive.