Their hearts beat just four times a minute, and their body temperatures drop to around 40 degrees Fahrenheit.Įvery few days, though, they wake to use the bathroom and eat. They go into a hibernation-like sleep for a few days at a time, during which their systems slow dramatically. Instead, they go into a similar state called torpor. Do Chipmunks Hibernate?Ĭhipmunks don’t hibernate. Just one chipmunk lives in each burrow because they aren’t social animals. One is used for going potty, another for giving birth, and the rest for hoarding food!Ĭhipmunks often gather much more food than they need to survive and hide it away in their burrows. Chipmunk burrows consist of an underground nest, where they sleep, surrounded by runs that lead to other crevices. Most chipmunk species store food in their dens. Rest assured, it’s incredibly cute! Where Do Chipmunks Store Food? We don’t often get to see chipmunks empty their cheek pouches since it happens below ground. This efficiently empties the food into their dens and takes very little time. How Do Chipmunks Empty Their Pouches? Chipmunks empty their cheek pouches into their burrows.Ĭhipmunks squeeze their cheek pouches with their front paws to empty them. This makes them neater diggers than most other animals that simply leave the dirt where it falls. When they’re finished, they go back outside and leave the dirt on the surface. They dig far underground with their claws, stuffing dirt into their cheek pouches as they go. The other purpose for chipmunk cheeks is to dig burrows. When chased by a predator, chipmunks make yet another noise to warn the surrounding colony. When they see a predator, they make a sound that tells other chipmunks whether it’s on the ground or in the air. The quicker they can scurry around collecting their meal, the safer they’ll be.Īnother thing chipmunks do to avoid harm is to rely on others. The outside world is dangerous to these tiny animals, with predators everywhere. They don’t tend to eat while out and about but instead tuck the food away for eating in the safety of their dens. Why Do Chipmunks Fill Their Cheeks?Ĭhipmunks fill their cheeks in order to hoard food quickly. Things a chipmunk might store in their pouches include seeds, nuts, grain, fruit, insects, fungi, bird eggs, and even baby birds or mice.
How Big Can Chipmunk Cheeks Get? Chipmunk pouches can expand to make their head look three times larger than usual!Ĭhipmunk cheeks can grow up to three times the size of their heads! They can hold onto mass quantities of food as big as themselves. Lastly, cheek pouches allow chipmunks to stock up for winter in just two days. This is why chipmunk holes don’t have mounds of dirt surrounding them. They later deposit the dirt on the ground outside. Otherwise, they could only eat one item at a time and would have to abandon it if a predator came along.Ĭhipmunks also use their cheek pouches to contain dirt when digging their burrows. Another great thing about cheek pouches is that chipmunks can run away from predators if needed without leaving their food behind. In chipmunks, the cheek pouches extend to the shoulders and stretch very wide. Chipmunks are food hoarders!Ĭheek pouches vary in different animals, sometimes reaching the shoulders or sides of the neck. This allows them to gather mass amounts of food very quickly-which is very important to them. They use these cheek pouches to store food until they can deposit the food in their den. We’ll tell you everything you’ve ever wanted to know! Do Chipmunks Have Fat Cheeks? Chipmunks have cheek pouches to carry food.Ĭhipmunks have fat cheeks because they have cheek pouches. Learn more about cheek pouches and their uses in this article. They can stretch up to three times the size of the chipmunk’s head and hold up to 12 acorns! This allows chipmunks to prep for winter in just two days. Ground Squirrel vs Chipmunk: 5 Key DifferencesĬhipmunks have unique cheeks that can grow up to the size of their body! Have you ever wondered how this happens or why chipmunks stuff their cheeks?Ĭhipmunk cheeks contain pouches, or pockets, designed to hold food.
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