In Latin, the name of the chipmunks is spelled Tamias. As for the Russian name, there are two versions of origin. One of them is borrowing and transformation from the Tatar language, where “chipmunk” is written as “boryndyk”. The second option is a derivation from the Mari word uromdok, but there are few adherents of this version.
Chipmunks are widespread in North America; they inhabit almost the entire continent. All existing species live there except for the Asian or Siberian chipmunk, which is found in Eurasia and in Russia.
Appearance
Depending on the species, the animals reach a size of 5 to 15 centimeters, the tail can be from 7 to 12 centimeters. Weight varies from 20 to 120 grams. All chipmunks have one thing in common - five stripes that are located on the back along the length.
The strips are separated by black or gray lines. The rest of the animal’s fur can be red-brown or black-brown. Due to the outward similarity, most types of chipmunks are difficult to distinguish from each other. There are 3 types of rodents in total , but each of them is divided into another 24 subspecies, so that only specialists can deal with belonging to a particular family.
Where do chipmunks live? Photo, species distribution area
As stated above, a large number of animals live in North America. The distribution of chipmunks is so wide that they are found both in central Mexico and in the Arctic Circle. The American chipmunk lives in the eastern part of the North American continent, with 23 subspecies living in the western.
It is interesting to know where the chipmunk lives, in which zone of Russia. This is the Far East, Magadan Region, Sakhalin Island. Rarely, but found in Kamchatka. But most of all, he liked the cedar and broad-leaved forests of the Primorsky Territory. In good years, the number of animals per 1 square km is 200-300 pieces.
In central Europe, there are chipmunks who fled from farms where they are bred, and were able to adapt to the wild. The latter species is the small chipmunk that inhabits Canada.
Habitat
Chipmunks belong to the squirrel family and are similar to squirrels. However, there is a big difference between the two species. Squirrels prefer to spend a lot of time on trees, while chipmunks settle on the ground. Most often they are found in forests, but sometimes they settle in the open area covered with bushes.
The forests where the chipmunk lives, in which zone, depend on the location. For example, in America, these are deciduous forests widespread in New England, in Russia - taiga, and Canada - coniferous forests.
Despite the fact that the chipmunks settle on the ground, they need trees. As a rule, where chipmunks live, there are windbreaks, a large number of deadwood, and the ground is covered with plants in which it is convenient to hide.
It is these places that the chipmunks are looking for, and if there are no trees in the area, but the bushes densely cover the ground, then they can adapt here. Another important requirement is the presence of a nearby pond. Therefore, you should look for where chipmunks live in nature, in the forests - on the banks of rivers and lakes.
Rodent housing
In order to make a house, the chipmunk pulls out a hole for himself. Its length can reach 3 m, burrows always branch. In the hole there are always two branches that end in dead ends - these are the toilets of the animal.
There are always several storage rooms for stocks and living quarters. In them, rodents line the floor with leaves. Here they sleep in the winter and at night, and also here their children are born and grow. When digging a hole, they hide the earth behind their cheeks and carry it away from the place where they live. Chipmunks in the forest hide the entrance to the hole in a thorough manner. It is located under deadwood, in thickets of bushes, under an old rotten stump. Finding a mink without the help of a dog is almost impossible.
Rodent life
Chipmunks love warmth and hate rains. That is why they appear in warm weather and frolic when they are warm. The exception is species that live in places with constant rainfall.
In winter, animals hibernate, but not as hard as gophers. They periodically wake up and are reinforced by stocks from the pantries. Chipmunk sleeps, putting his face on his abdomen or wrapping his flexible tail.
In early spring, the inhabitants of the mink, which are located on the sunny slopes and the first to be freed from snow, go on reconnaissance. At this time, the chipmunks are still inactive, spend two to three hours outdoors and prefer to bask in the sun. Most often they can be seen on the tops of trees in the sun.
At such a time, the chipmunks do not depart far from the hole. They eat kidneys on nearby plants or eat up winter stocks. When the sun warms up, rodents pull out damp supplies and put them to dry in the sun. If warm days are replaced by cold again, animals go to the mink and wait for real spring.
In the summer, in the heat, chipmunks go out into the air early enough, but so that the earth heats up. They do their work before the heat of day, the second way out is in the evening. In places where the weather is constantly warm and there is no heat or cold, chipmunks can be observed all day. In autumn, animals crawl out of their holes after the air warms up. This continues until it gets completely cold.
Animals do not tolerate rains and feel great about them. In the places where the chipmunks live, a few hours before the start of the rain, they get on the stumps and make special sounds that are different from their usual “conversations”.
Progeny
Chipmunks prefer to live alone and zealously guard their apartments. During periods of incidents, they communicate with the opposite sex, after which offspring appear. This happens in May and then in August. In the spring, before the birth of the offspring, the chipmunk can choose the old hollow as a house, because he does not have to think about wintering, and there are fewer enemies on the trees.
Chipmunk brings posterity once. The number of newborns is 4-8 individuals. Their relatives from America give birth twice to 3-4 four cubs. Chipmunks become sexually mature in their first year of life. In wild conditions, the animal has a lifespan of 3 years, in captivity the figure can reach 10 years.
Young chipmunks spend a long time in the nest. When they are old enough, they begin to look for food near the entrance. Gradually they begin to go deeper and deeper from the hole.
While the cubs are small, the female is not far from the entrance to the hole and, in case of danger, begins to snort alarmingly. Then the children quickly run back, screaming back.
Enemies
Little rodents have a lot of enemies. These are birds of prey, small animals, people, and sometimes bears. The latter most often dig munk chipmunks and eat up their stocks. When the animal envies the enemy, it begins to unequivocally squeak at certain intervals.
After that, the chipmunk allows the enemy to reach a distance of 30 meters and carefully examines. If there is a real danger, it starts to run, making a continuous frightened squeak. Chipmunks most often hide from pursuers in thickets or try to climb a tree. They do not lead their enemies to the mink.
Nutrition
The main food for rodents is what it can get in the forest. This is mainly plant food, but sometimes there can be small insects. Chipmunks love to eat buds, grains, hazelnuts, plant shoots. If any cereal grows nearby, then the chipmunks are happy to eat grain from them.
Sometimes these animals can become real pests. With the small size of the field, located next to the burrow, where chipmunks live in the forest, you can completely lose the crop. And all this with the help of small rodents. In addition, chipmunks eat berries, mushrooms, can eat apricots and other fruits, inadvertently planted by people near the burrow.
Winter stocks
Chipmunk stocks are very diverse. All kinds of food that he can get around his hole are used. The reserve is maintained throughout the wakeful period.
According to researchers, where the chipmunks live in Russia, their winter food supply reaches about 6 kilograms. The animal divides all its food by appearance, and even the grain of different cultures is in different heaps. All food is folded on a bed of dry grass or leaves, and the heaps are separated by foliage partitions.
Interesting is the extraction of grain. If the ears do not grow too close, then the animal seeks out the richest grain plant and jumps on it. Under weight, the stem bends and, holding its paws, the chipmunk bites the spikelet itself.
After that, he picks up the grains, hides them by the cheeks and runs off into his hole. If the ears grow close and there is no way to tilt them, then the chipmunk bites the stem until it reaches the grains.