They like to eat nuts, grains, fruits, and berries which they store in their borrows. To avoid hunters or other dangerous predators, they climb trees but mostly they spend their time on the ground. Cheeks and sides of the body are grayish tan to tawny brown with whitish underparts. They usually have 5 dark brown to black stripes on their back and sides. Their size can be from 8 to 10 inches long including their 3 to 4 inch tail.
Chipmunks greet each other by rubbing cheeks and noses.
Hunters do not like chipmunks because they are noisy little creatures who warn other animals in the forest about danger. They are quick and agile and run all over the place and especially to their burrows if they are frightened. That's when they hold their bushy tails up in the air. In our state, chipmunks are sometimes considered pests because they eat bird seed from bird feeders that people set out in their backyards. But, we think they are cute and funny to watch as they run all over the yard.