Their range extends south into Mexico along the mountains. To read the Indian Legend that tells the story of how the chipmunk got it's stripes -click here The population of Tamias striatus is thriving. Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of all chipmunks is their pouched cheeks. The pouches are located in the sides of their mouths and are used to store food. When the pouches are full they can be as large as an entire chipmunk's head.
Chipmunks can store large amounts of food in their pouched cheeks.
One Chipmunk was found with 31 kernels of corn in its cheeks. When preparing food for storage, the chipmunk holds fruit and seeds in its dexterous front paws, and with specialized incisors, which are especially long and directed forward, it removes seeds from pods. Then it uses its tongue to shift them backwards and stuff them between its teeth and the extensible skin in the cheek area, where they are held while the animal collects more food. The capacity of these cheek pouches increases with maturity. When the cheek pouches become full, the chipmunk deposits the seeds in its nest or buries them in shallow holes that it digs in the ground and then covers with earth, leaves, and other litter.