Illinois is home to two squirrel species: eastern gray squirrels and eastern fox squirrels. With their big, bushy tails, tree squirrels can be readily identified. While chipmunks and ground squirrels can be hard to tell apart, they are easy to distinguish from another common relative: tree squirrels. Instead, during the fall they double their body weight to increase their fat stores to live off during winter, the Missouri Department of Conservation reports. They'll gather nuts and seeds to store in their burrows to feast on during winter. Ground squirrels do not wake during their hibernation, so they have no need to create food stores. One key difference between the two is that only chipmunks store food for winter. Both occasionally eat insects and small animals. Chipmunks eat primarily seeds, nuts and berries, while ground squirrels eat mainly seeds and plant material including agricultural plants like corn and wheat. They spend most their time during winter underground sleeping in their burrows, but they wake to eat every few days.Ĭhipmunks and ground squirrels are both omnivores.
Chipmunks hibernate as well, but not in the truest sense. Chipmunks, on the other hand, prefer wooded areas and forests and are also often seen along the edges of wooded areas and in yards with plenty of trees and shrubs.īoth chipmunks and ground squirrels are active during the day, and both are busy at this time of the year as they prepare to hibernate for winter. But only the ground squirrel is a true hibernator, spending all but three to four months a year underground, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Ground squirrels prefer grassy areas such as yards, cemeteries, golf courses and pastures, and they generally avoid wooded areas. Where you see them can also be telling of whether you are seeing a ground squirrel or a chipmunk. Chipmunks, on the other hand, have five wider stripes alternating between brown and tan. The dark brown stripes also usually have tan spots, giving them a dotted appearance.
The lines are actually alternating stripes, with seven dark brown stripes and six tan stripes, according to the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels are appropriately named for their 13 narrow stripes. Their stripe pattern can also be used to differentiate them. Only the bodies of eastern chipmunks are striped. While both are striped, only 13-lined ground squirrels have stripes that extend to their heads. The most telltale difference between the two is the presence of stripes on their heads, or lack thereof. Chipmunks are usually about 10 inches long, while ground squirrels range from 6 inches to 12 inches. They have brown, grayish-brown or reddish-brown fur and are generally similar in size. But can you tell the difference between the two?Įastern chipmunks and 13-lined ground squirrels are both rodents. Influence of academic self-regulation, critical thinking, and age on online graduate students’ academic help-seeking.During fall, chipmunks and ground squirrels scurrying across the ground in search of food is a common sight as they prepare for winter.Drinking even "moderate" amounts of alcohol increases dementia risk, US research suggests.rnThe findings, presented at an international conference, challenge the notion that some alcohol could be good for ageing brains.rnPeople who stick to recommend.There's a restaurant over there, but I don't think it's very good.
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