The Eastern Chipmunk

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The Eastern Chipmunk

The Eastern chipmunk is a small rodent of the Sciuridae family. This chipmunk is closely related to the red and grey fox, the flying squirrel, and the woodchuck. Its Taxonomic name is Tamias Striatus. The word Tamias, Means collector or keeper and Striatus refers to its bold stripes and coloring.

The body of the average Eastern Chipmunk is about 8 to 10 inches long, the weigh about 2 ½ to 4 ounces. The ears are rounded with ears that stick straight up. It has short legs, the hind legs each have five claws, the front legs have four, and a long thumb like extension. They also have a furry flat tail.

Chipmunks have short, dense body fur. It is the same color for males and females. This is a reddish-brown with black and white hairs. The cheeks and sides of the body are grayish-tan to tawny brown.

Chipmunks are omnivorous. They generally eat nuts, seeds of herbaceous plants, mushrooms, berries, corn, the flesh and seeds of some fruits and garden vegetables, Birds' eggs, insects, snails, earthworms, millipedes, salamanders, small snakes, frogs and young...

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