Test your Eastern Chipmunk knowledge
The following quiz contains some interesting facts from the Eastern Chipmunk Species Spotlight article...let's see how many you can answer correctly
Why do Eastern Chipmunks reduce surface activity in the summer?
Eastern Chipmunks are believed to reduce their surface activity in the summer in New England primarily due to increased botfly parasitism risk during this time, and additionally this time of year can be stressful for them due to hot temperatures and reduced food availability, which are additional reasons that they remain in their burrow for most of this time period.
How many litters of young does each adult female Eastern Chipmunk typically have each year?
Adult female Eastern Chipmunks are able to breed starting at ~ 1 year-old and most commonly have two litters each year in New England, the first in the spring and the second in late-summer.
True or False: Eastern Chipmunks hibernate throughout the entire winter?
Eastern Chipmunks go into a state of “torpor” in the winter, which is different than true hibernation. While they are in torpor their heart rate and body temperature drop considerably, which reduces the amount of energy they need to survive. Though because they are unable to accumulate enough fat to last them through an entire winter, they “wake-up” briefly every few-to-several days during their winter torpor to eat and dispose of their waste, and then return back to their torpor.
How many heartbeats per minute do Eastern Chipmunks have while in torpor during the winter??
Their heart rate drops from about 350 beats per minute during the active season all the way down to less than 10 beats per minute while they are in torpor during the winter.
Which of the following are food items eaten by Eastern Chipmunks?
While nuts, seeds, and fruit often make up the majority of their diet, Eastern Chipmunks also eat insect, mushrooms, and a wide variety of other food items.
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