From Disney's Chip and Dale to Alvin and the Chipmunks, cartoonists have always characterized chipmunks as one of nature's most lovable rodents.

Though you might consider them much more appealing than their bushy-tailed kin, chipmunks are technically squirrels, along with prairie dogs, woodchucks, and marmots. Chipmunks are the smallest member of the squirrel family, which could help explain why we find them so cute.

The name "Chipmunk" is actually derived from a Native American word, which initially described the American Red Squirrel and was subsequently used for chipmunk species. In Quebec, the striped critter has also been called a Swiss (un Suisse), which is thought to have been inspired by the striped uniforms of the Pope's Swiss Guard.

Although you might see them running around together in groups, they aren't social creatures. Instead, they build separate burrows and spend most of their time alone. If there's enough food, water, and space in a particular woodsy acre, though, there might be 20 or 30 chipmunks living there. 

Despite their solitude, chipmunks send warning calls to other chipmunks in the area when danger approaches. Woodchucks also tune into these alerts, and they share information back and forth between the species.

If the predator is a snake, fox, raccoon, or another ground predator, the chipmunk will release a string of high-pitched chip sounds. However, if it's a hawk, owl, or another aerial predator, the chipmunk will emit lower-pitched sounds called "chucks."

According to National Geographic, Chipmunks can cram a lot of food into their expandable cheek pouches. As a result, the cache can sometimes match a chipmunk's weight. 

Chipmunks hibernate during winter, like bears, but they don't bulk up beforehand. Instead, they hoard seeds and nuts in their burrows and occasionally awaken to eat.

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