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Chipmunk facts for kids

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Chipmunks
Temporal range: Early Miocene to Recent
Tamias-rufus-001.jpg
Tamias rufus
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Tamias
Streifenhoernchen 1 db
A chipmunk

A chipmunk is a small squirrel-like rodent. It is in the Sciuridae family. About twenty-three species fall under this title, with one species in North America.

The name may have originally been spelled "chitmunk" (perhaps from a Native American word meaning "red squirrel"). However, the earliest form comes from the Oxford English Dictionary (in 1842) as "chipmonk". Other early forms include "chipmuck" and "chipminck".

Chipmunks are hoarders, meaning they store food for winter.

Popular culture

Chip 'n Dale, two Disney cartoon characters, are famous chipmunks in pop culture. Another such trio is Alvin, Simon and Theodore (created by Ross Bagdasarian).

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