Least Chipmunk
Neotamias minimus
Appearance
range & habitat
reciprocal relationships
Chipmunks fill their stretchy cheek pouches with the food they collect. They'll then store it in their nests or in small holes they have dug in the ground. Chipmunks play an important role in the spread of trees, shrubs, and plants when they leave ‘left-over’ seeds in their underground storage places because buried seeds are more likely to germinate than seeds lying on the surface!
Chipmunks mate in spring, giving birth to litters of four to six young within a month. Although it takes young chipmunks nearly five weeks to open their eyes, they grow quickly to become adults by September! Throughout their life, they develop the gifts of communication. They connect through calls so they can alert each other of danger and converse through a wide array of chirps and squeaks.