Lushootseed Name:   s√k’ʷətɬ  Click to Listen

Scientific Name:  Tamias townsendii

 

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Townsend’s Chipmunks live in underground burrows. In places with a really cold winter with lots of snow, they hibernate, otherwise they don’t hibernate.   In the summer, they eat berries like Red Flowering Currants and Salal Berries.  In the fall, they eat acorns, huckleberries, maple seeds, and Douglas Fir seeds.  In the winter, they dig for fungi.  Townsend’s Chipmunks benefit the forests by spreading the spores of mushrooms.  The mushroom roots provide nutrients to the trees and shrubs.

For more information read the attached handout created by the Oregon State University Extension Service Website.  TownsendsChipmunk.OSUExtension