At a glance the quick version
Coat and looks how to spot one
Short fur with bold stripes and roomy cheek pouches
A compact, striped ground squirrel about 25 to 30 cm long including the tail. Its reddish-brown back carries five dark stripes alternating with lighter ones, and a yellowish to reddish patch brightens the rump. Pale and tawny stripes frame the face and eyes, the belly is white, and large cheek pouches let it carry food home. Wild chipmunks live 2 to 8 years and captive ones about 8 to 9.123
Personality what they are like
A busy, chatty daytime forager that is independent by nature and likes a territory of its own. It is curious and quick, and spends much of its time gathering and storing food.12
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Most active mid-morning and mid-afternoon. A ground dweller that climbs well, it likes to dig, climb and forage. In captivity chipmunks are reported to sleep around 15 hours a day.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Needs no coat grooming. It hoards food in larders, so check stores and remove anything stale.23
Home where they are happiest
Wild chipmunks dig burrows with long tunnels and several entrances and like cover such as logs, stumps and rocks. A spacious, secure enclosure with places to dig, climb and hide reflects these habits.12
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Mainly plant-based: seeds, nuts, fruit, bulbs, mushrooms and green plants, with insects, worms and slugs as extras.12
Company who they like around
Solitary and territorial outside the breeding season, so it is generally kept on its own.12
The story where it all began
Linnaeus first named the species Sciurus striatus, the striped squirrel, and in 1811 Johann Illiger moved it to Tamias, meaning 'steward' after its food storing. The common name 'chipmunk' comes from an Indigenous Algonquian language, with sources pointing to Ojibwe or Odawa words.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It has five main calls: the chip, chuck, trill, whistle or squeal, and chatter, and can trill about 130 times a minute.1
- 2
Its genus name Tamias means 'steward', a nod to its habit of storing food.1
- 3
By burying and storing seeds, chipmunks help new plants to sprout.3
- 4
Its cheek pouches let it carry loads of food back to its burrow.4
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Wild species assessed as Least Concern1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Eastern Chipmunk. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Fresh food and waterevery day
- Spot cleanevery day
- Full cleanevery week
- EnrichmentNew things to explore every dayevery day
- Nails checkevery month
- Weigh inevery 2 weeks
- Vet check-upFind a vet who sees exotic petsevery year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Eastern chipmunk - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for size, coat, behaviour, calls, diet, naming history
- Animal Diversity Web - Tamias striatus animaldiversity.orgused for range, size, weight, lifespan, behaviour, diet
- Chipmunk - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for captive sleep, captive lifespan, etymology, hoarding
- en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.