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Squirrel vs. Chipmunk

The main difference between squirrels and chipmunks is that the squirrels are medium or small-sized rodents and chipmunks are a type of squirrels.

Key Differences

Chipmunks range from 6 to 12 inches in length on the flip side squirrels range from 8 to 12 inches and 12 to 20 inches (38 - 52 cm) in length, including the tail.
Chipmunks are small mammals with distinct stripes, whereas the tree squirrel is larger and does not have stripes.
Squirrels eat acorns, nuts, seeds, buds, bark, pine cones, fungi, and leaves while Chipmunks are omnivores. They eat fruit, seed, grass shoots, insects, worms, small frogs, and eggs.
Squirrels communicate by series of rapid clicking sounds and whistle-like calls on the other hand Chipmunks produce bird-like chirps, clucks and high-pitched sounds for communication.
Aimie Carlson
Jul 15, 2019
Squirrels have slender bodies, bushy tails, and large eyes while Chipmunks have small and rounded bodies.

Comparison Chart

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A type of medium or small-sized rodents belonging to the Sciuridae family
Are a type of squirrels also belonging to the Sciuridae family
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Body

Slender bodies, bushy tails, and large eyes
Small rounded bodies

Size

Bigger
Smaller

Diet

Variety of plants, nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, green vegetation
Seeds, nuts, and other fruits, and buds, small frogs, insects, worms

Average Lifespan

Six to eight years
About three years
Harlon Moss
Jul 15, 2019

Squirrel and Chipmunk Definitions

Squirrel

Any of various arboreal rodents of the tribe Sciurini and especially of the genus Sciurus, characteristically having a long flexible bushy tail. Also called tree squirrel.

Chipmunk

Any of several small striped rodents of the genus Tamias, chiefly of North America.
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Squirrel

Any of various other rodents of the family Sciuridae, such as the ground squirrels and the flying squirrels.

Chipmunk

A squirrel-like rodent of the genus Tamias, native mainly to North America.

Squirrel

The fur of one of these rodents.

Chipmunk

(transitive) To speed up (an audio recording, especially a song), to make the voices high-pitched.

Squirrel

To hide or store
Squirreled away her money.

Chipmunk

(transitive) To fill (one's mouth or cheeks) with food.
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Squirrel

Any of the rodents of the family Sciuridae distinguished by their large bushy tail.

Chipmunk

(transitive) To stuff (food) into one's mouth or cheeks, sometimes as part of competitive eating.

Squirrel

A person, usually a freezoner, who applies L. Ron Hubbard's technology in a heterodox manner.

Chipmunk

A squirrel-like animal of the genus Tamias, sometimes called the striped squirrel, chipping squirrel, ground squirrel, hackee. The common species of the United States is the Tamias striatus.

Squirrel

One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.

Chipmunk

Chipmunk of western America and Asia

Squirrel

Someone who displays a squirrel-like qualities such as stealing or hoarding objects.

Squirrel

(transitive) To store in a secretive manner, to hide something for future use

Squirrel

Any one of numerous species of small rodents belonging to the genus Sciurus and several allied genera of the family Sciuridæ. Squirrels generally have a bushy tail, large erect ears, and strong hind legs. They are commonly arboreal in their habits, but many species live in burrows.

Squirrel

One of the small rollers of a carding machine which work with the large cylinder.

Squirrel

A kind of arboreal rodent having a long bushy tail

Squirrel

The fur of a squirrel

Squirrel vs. Chipmunk

Squirrels and chipmunks both belong to the Sciuridae family and are small rodents that eat nuts, fruits, seeds, green vegetation, fungi, and insects. The squirrels are larger than the chipmunk, but its size varies from species to species. Gray squirrels are 18 to 20 inches with an average weight of 1.5 pounds. Generally, the squirrels are slender. Chipmunks are comparatively small ranging from 7.2 to 8.5 inches in length, whereas the range of body weight is 1.1 to 1.8 ounces. The eyes of squirrels are large, and tails are bushy. The eyes of chipmunks are similar to the squirrels. The tip of their tail is also bushy. There are 285 species of squirrels which are typical residents of South and North America, Africa, and Eurasia. Chipmunks are considered to have 25 species mostly found in North America. Their some species are native to the Asian regions of Siberia. The squirrels can accommodate all kinds of habitats except for those with extreme weather conditions like the deserts and the polar region. Chipmunks usually live near the outskirts of the woodlands and the backyards. The two most common and abundant categories of squirrels are tree squirrels and ground squirrels. Ground squirrels have stripes only on the back; Their fur is brown, gray or red. But on the tree squirrels, there are no stripes. The chipmunks are brownish, and their brown fur has yellow, black and brown stripes extending the entire body starting from the head to the tail and run all over the body.

What is Squirrel?

Squirrels belong to a large family Sciuridae that includes small or medium-sized rodents like tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs, etc. There are three types of squirrels, ground, tree, and flying squirrels. Ground squirrels live in underground burrows, which are up to 30 feet long and have several tunnels. Tree squirrels live in nests of tree located high in trees. The Flying squirrels are nocturnal, and they live in nests or tree holes. The color and size of the squirrel vary according to their species. They can be brown, gray, or reddish-brown. The tree squirrel is larger and doesn’t have stripes, the ground squirrel has body stripes, but no head stripes. The tree squirrel is larger, has a longer tail and no stripes. All these squirrels have short fur and small rounded ears. The Ground squirrel ranges from 8 to 12 inches in length. Tree squirrels are 12 to 20 inches in length, including the tail. Tree squirrels feed on plant material, including seeds, nuts, acorns, tree buds, berries, leaves, and twigs. The squirrels are classified into five subfamilies that are further classified into 58 genera and 285 species. Some Major elements in the diet of squirrel are seeds, buds, acorns, bark, fungi, pine cones, leaves, and nuts. Some squirrels also like to have tiny insects and small vertebrates as their food. Sounds produced by the squirrels are more like duck quack and the whistling sounds. Squirrels give birth to 3 to 8 babies after a gestation of 35 to 41 days.

What is Chipmunk?

Chipmunks are small striped squirrels that are native to North America and Asia. They are mostly classed either as a single genus Tamias or as three. Chipmunks have shorter less bushy tails than squirrels. Chipmunks hold their tails more erect as compared to squirrels. Chipmunks have elastic skin in their cheeks that allows them to fill these pouches with food and carry them back to their burrows either to save or to eat in peace. Their burrows are usually 30 feet deep which they dig in the ground. Chipmunks are small in size ranging from 7.2 to 8.5 inches in length, whereas the range of body weight is 1.1 to 1.8 ounces. Chipmunks are referred to as ‘striped squirrels.’ Chipmunks have prominent black and white strips extending from the head to their tail. They also have white strips under their eyes. The chipmunks eat both small animals and plantation. So it is appropriate to define them as omnivores. The mating time of chipmunks is particularly at the start of the spring season and the final days of the summer. The pregnancy period of the female chipmunk is 31 days, and she gives birth to 2 to 6 young ones. Their average life in the natural habitat is three years, while those in custody can survive for nine years. Chipmunks have a single genus, Tamias, or three families sometimes namely: Tamias, (eastern chipmunk), Neotamias (23 western species), and Eutamias (Siberian chipmunk)

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