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.

Chipmunk
Temporal range: Early Miocene to Recent
Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Subfamily: Xerinae
Tribe: Marmotini
Illiger, 1811[1]
A chipmunk

The name may have originally been spelled "chitmunk" (perhaps from a Native American word meaning "red squirrel").[2] 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.[3]

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).

References
  1. Illigeri, Caroli (1811). "Genus 34. Tamias (ταμιας promus condus) Bakkenhörnchen". Prodromus systematis mammalium et avium. Berlin: C. Salfeld. p. 83.
  2. "Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  3. Kays, R. W.; Wilson, Don E. (2009). Mammals of North America (2nd ed.). Princeton University Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-691-14092-6.

Other websites
  • Media related to Tamias at Wikimedia Commons
  • Data related to Tamias at Wikispecies
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