Chipmunk facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chipmunks Temporal range: Early Miocene to Recent
Tamias rufus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Tribe:	Marmotini
Genus:	Tamias

A chipmunk

A chipmunk is a small, furry animal that looks a lot like a squirrel. It belongs to the squirrel family, called Sciuridae. There are about 23 different kinds, or species, of chipmunks. Most of them live in North America.

The name 'chipmunk' might have come from a Native American word. Some people think it meant 'red squirrel'. The word 'chipmonk' first appeared in a dictionary in 1842. Other old spellings were 'chipmuck' and 'chipminck'.

Chipmunks are very good at collecting and storing food. They are known as 'hoarders' because they gather lots of food to eat during the cold winter months.

Chipmunks in Pop Culture

Chipmunks are quite famous in movies and cartoons!

Famous Cartoon Chipmunks

• Chip 'n Dale are two well-known chipmunk characters from Disney. They often get into funny adventures.
• Alvin, Simon, and Theodore are another popular trio. They were created by Ross Bagdasarian and are famous for singing songs with high-pitched voices.

Images for kids

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  An eastern chipmunk placing food in its cheek pouch

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  Eastern chipmunk at the entrance of its burrow

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  Tamias striatus, Eastern Chipmunk

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  Eutamias sibiricus, Siberian Chipmunk

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  Neotamias minimus, Least Chipmunk