Eastern Chipmunk

Eastern Chipmunk, Tamias striatus

The Eastern Chipmunk can be found inhabiting temperate forests throughout most of eastern North America up through southeastern Canada. While they prefer open forests, they are not an uncommon sight near rural or suburban homes. Living in shallow burrows, they do not leave dirt near the entrances like many other Sciurids, but carry the dirt away and conceal it with leaves and rocks. This helps prevent predators from finding their burrow which can extend over 30 feet in length. During the cold winter months, this species of chipmunk does not hibernate, but rather enters torpor for a few days at a time. Torpor is one of three major classifications of dormancy in mammals with torpor as a shorter duration and differing rates of body temperature and metabolic rate than estivation and hibernation.

Photography credit to my brother once more.