What Do Chipmunks Eat?

Chip ‘n Dale were probably the first kind of chipmunks I got glimpse of in my childhood days and I took a liking for chipmunks instantly. The stories of these cute and cuddly characters always revolved around ways to procure food and hide it, which often invited opposition from the very adorable Donald duck! These tiny chipmunks sure have an appetite for nuts and other foodstuff. So, have you ever wondered what do chipmunks eat? These cute creatures are known to eat a variety of foods. Let’s take a look at the kind of food that is eaten by chipmunks and other factors associated with them!

So, what exactly do Chipmunks Eat?
Chipmunks look amazingly cute when they eat! Their common posture for the same is using the paws which are held near the mouth to help it to eat the food. These chipmunks can eat a variety of foods and also follow the habit of storing food for the winter season. So have you often wondered what do chipmunks eat? Well, there’s plenty to name. Chipmunks primarily eat peanuts, insects, different types of grains, the eggs of certain birds, various types of fungi and even worms as well. Sometimes, chipmunks also love birdseeds, dried or even fresh bananas, apples, peas, tomatoes, grapes, sweet corn, grass, cucumber, dried apricots, sunflower seeds etc. This would of course depend upon your generosity of sharing food with the chipmunks. Chipmunks are also quite aggressive in their behavior when it comes to hunting for food. 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! One particular habit of the chipmunk is that it tends to store food in its mouth especially when it goes out hunting for food in the daytime. In autumn, chipmunks store all sorts of foodstuff for the winter season.

Interesting Facts about Chipmunks:
The origins of the name chipmunk had a different spelling. Originally, the name chipmunk may have been spelt as Chitmunk, which means the red squirrel. Some of the other versions of the names include chipmuck and chipminck and 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 to which could be the loud chip-chip-chip combined with a strong waving of the tail.

Chipmunks are found in a wide variety of habitats. They basically inhabit hardwood forests, as they love to feast on nuts. Chipmunks are also found in areas, which have a lot of shrubs and a green cover. These are also seen in the city areas, in gardens and areas, 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. These burrows serve as a place to rest and also 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 and also 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 where as some may prefer to dig additional rooms.

The mating period for a chipmunk begins from the month of February to April. These 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.