The eastern chipmunk is one of three kinds of Illinois ground squirrel. Cute, yes, but please don’t approach one.
How to identify chipmunks
Eastern chipmunks are small and nimble, weighing only 2 to 5 ounces and measuring 8 to 12 inches long. Look for the light and dark stripes on the back, sides and cheeks. Their fur is reddish brown with a white or off-white belly, and their rounded ears stand upright.
Unlike tree squirrels, a chipmunk’s tail is furred but fairly flat, not bushy. They carry food and excavated soil in internal cheek pouches.
Habitat and lifestyle
Chipmunks prefer the edges of woods and brushy areas with nuts, seeds and fungi. They aren’t strong diggers, so they make homes under existing things like rocks, logs, brush piles and buildings. Besides nuts and seeds they eat flowers, buds, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders, and they stash food like other squirrels.
How we handle chipmunks
We’re licensed, highly trained nuisance wildlife professionals. We remove chipmunks humanely, then find and seal the way in so the next one can’t follow. See animal trapping and animal proofing for how that works. Sealing gaps at grade along patios, walkways and foundations keeps them out.