How To Know If It Is A Chipmunk Or A Squirrel
Whenever you are outdoors, you cannot help but to catch the sight of furry little creatures running up and down a tree. Though both rodents a squirrel and a chipmunk are definitely distinct from each other. However, you may find that distinguishing which is which might be difficult. They may look alike, they may be both mammals and they may even be closely related. That does not change the fact that there are huge differences between the two. These differences are in terms of diet, hibernation habits as well as their appearances. Take a look now so the next time you walk in the park, you will not know if that is a chipmunk or a squirrel.
How A Chipmunk And A Squirrel Eats
When it comes to diet, these two creatures from the same mammalian order have the same set of teeth which consists of four incisors as well as flat ones in the back for helping them chew their favorite snack—nuts and from time to time, berries, seeds mushrooms and bird eggs. The first difference is their timing for eating. Chipmunks gobble away or save it in underground burrows for later but squirrels save it but consume before winter comes. On the other hand, chipmunks have cheek compartments to keep their food in whenever they are searching for more.
How A Chipmunk And A Squirrel Spend The Winter
Squirrels are called true hibernators which mean that they will need to consume a good deal of food to keep them warm during hibernation in the winter. Chipmunks have a nature of using food that they have gathered for storage in their burrows which they will later consume while they keep inside, awake most of the time and out of the cold.
How A Chipmunk And A Squirrel Appears
Chipmunks and squirrels have a lot of features that create their distinctions if people knew how to look. These little tree rodents are such a common sight that most of the time are wrongly identified. In general, the chipmunks are smaller in size. However, squirrels have a very shaggy tail, distinct pair of ears that stand out and a lustrous coat. As for chipmunks, they have half the weight of squirrels and therefore have more agility on their side. A squirrel will have more streaks of dark brown running down from their head to their tail while a chipmunk has less. In addition to that, you will know a face of a squirrel as it has no stripes on its face while a chipmunk has. Chipmunks love to make a home out of trees and other wood areas while squirrels love grassy places.
How A Chipmunk And A Squirrel Is Set Apart
Now that you have a pretty good idea of how these two common rodents differ, you will not have to get confused anymore. Just observe the following traits as your guideline:
- A squirrel is noticeably more comfortable among people whereas a chipmunk has a tendency to flee in our presence.
- A squirrel is larger and will have more stripes as opposed to a chipmunk.
- A squirrel will go into hibernation during the winter and will therefore require as much body fat as possible for warmth. Therefore, they eat as much as possible before the season comes whereas a chipmunk will gather as much food as possible and store it for later consumption because they are awake in their underground burrows when winter comes.
- A squirrel is called a true hibernator because of the fact that they remain dormant all throughout winter while a chipmunk will only sleep on the peak of the season.