Take a look at any thirteen-lined ground squirrel and you will know what we are talking about! On the other hand, if it’s a chipmunk, the ears will be rounded. And their ears don’t stick out above the head much. They look quite similar but the ears will help you out! The ground squirrels have got short ears. In this case, the easy way to find out if it’s a ground squirrel or a chipmunk is to check out its ear. Well, well, well, understanding the color from behind the bushes can be tough. Not only the habitation but the appearance of these rodents can do you a favor! Yes, there are some key points in their appearance that make them different. But in this case, they ensure that they are getting an abundant cover to protect themselves. You can find them in most of the scrublands.īut you can also see them making their favorite burrows in any urban or suburban land. We have talked about the ground squirrels, but where do chipmunks nest? Conversely, chipmunks love bushes and forests. However, agriculture and urban development are adapted by them too. These are the natives of the prairies of the central US. In the case of the ground squirrels, they are grassland creatures. So, you can expect a lot of similarities among their habitation. Both of them are rodents and from the same family. Attributes Chipmunks Ground Squirrels Stripes 7 (No Head Stripe) 13 (Head Stripes) Ear Medium Ears Short Ears Tail Fuzzy, Bushy, and Short Tail Held High Long Tail Kept Low on the Ground Food Habit Omnivores Omnivores Winter Protection Stores Food in the Burrow Hibernate Climbing Ability Can Climb (doesn’t climb often) Are Not Seen Climbing Social Ability Live Alone in the Burrows Lives in Burrows but the Burrows are Connected to Other Ground Squirrels Lifespan 6 Years or More 12 Years or More Difference between Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks The Habitationįirst of all, we will learn about where you can find chipmunks and where ground squirrels. Here’s a chart to point out the key differences. To be clearer, take a look at the chart listed below and match it with the pictures- it will surely make it easy for you! Chipmunks Pictures Here are some pictures of both of these mammals. Difference between Ground Squirrels and Chipmunks.Lastly, since rodents serve as prey for many predators, luring chipmunks means you’re also inviting coyotes, foxes and mountain lions into your midst. Human food becomes especially unhealthy when it draws the animals to campgrounds, yards and other areas where they’re likely to get run over by vehicles.
They can carry diseases, and you don’t want that.”Īlso, human food is almost always very different from the rodents’ natural diet and thus not healthy for them. “With respect to chipmunks and squirrels, some people try to hand-feed them and then get bitten. “We discourage artificial feeding of all wild animals,” DOW spokesman Randy Hampton said. The Division of Wildlife advises against feeding chipmunks, as tempting and easy as it may be. In contrast, other ground squirrels eat voraciously to build up fat stores before hibernating all winter long.Ĭhipmunks and most other ground squirrels mate in the spring and have litters of about six young after a month-long gestation period. However, what chipmunks do with their food is a little different: Chipmunks store caches of food in their dens (after transporting it there with their famously expansive cheeks) and wake up periodically to eat throughout the winter, although they will usually not come above ground in snowy months. Plant matter comprises about 95 percent of their food.
Chipmunks and other ground squirrels subsist off similar diets of seeds, berries, flowers, fruits and insects.