Chipmunk

Larger version

The chipmunk is a general name for any small squirrel-like rodent species in the family Sciuridae[?], genus Tamias.

Twenty-five species fall under this title, native to Europe, Asia and North America. The common species of the United States is the Tamias striatus.

The name stems from the loud chip sound that they make, in addition to a rapid trill sound. They are also called the striped squirrel or ground squirrel.

Though they are classically depicted with their paws up to the mouth, eating peanuts, or more famously their cheeks bulging out on either side, they eat a much more diverse range of foods than just nuts. Their omnivorious diet consists of grain, nuts, birds' eggs, and insects. Come autumn, it begins to stockpile these goods in its burrow, for winter. It lives in its nest until spring,

Pop Culture References

In the 1950s a record of a sped-up Christmas song was released. The result was high-pitched cartoony voices, released as The Chipmunk Song[?], which went on to win multiple Grammys. This sparked a cartoon show Alvin and the Chipmunks[?]. The characters substaintially regained popularity in the early to mid-1990s, with a new TV series and many direct-to-video movie releases.

In Disney's animated movie The Emperor's New Groove[?], character Krunk regularly converses with chipmunks, in their language of squeaks.

		Chipmunk
		Larger version The chipmunk is a general name for any small squirrel-like rodent species in the family Sciuridae[?], genus Tamias. Twenty-five species fall under this title, native to Europe, Asia and North America. The common species of the United States is the Tamias striatus. The name stems from the loud chip sound that they make, in addition to a rapid trill sound. They are also called the striped squirrel or ground squirrel. Though they are classically depicted with their paws up to the mouth, eating peanuts, or more famously their cheeks bulging out on either side, they eat a much more diverse range of foods than just nuts. Their omnivorious diet consists of grain, nuts, birds' eggs, and insects. Come autumn, it begins to stockpile these goods in its burrow, for winter. It lives in its nest until spring, Pop Culture References In the 1950s a record of a sped-up Christmas song was released. The result was high-pitched cartoony voices, released as The Chipmunk Song[?], which went on to win multiple Grammys. This sparked a cartoon show Alvin and the Chipmunks[?]. The characters substaintially regained popularity in the early to mid-1990s, with a new TV series and many direct-to-video movie releases. In Disney's animated movie The Emperor's New Groove[?], character Krunk regularly converses with chipmunks, in their language of squeaks.
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