Most of the species and subspecies of chipmunks live on the North American continent, where this small animal occupies almost the entire territory – from the central part of Mexico to the Arctic Circle. The exception is only a Eurasian species – the so-called Siberian or Asian chipmunk. It is distributed from the north of China and the Korean peninsula up to the northern region of Europe. There is it on the island of Hokkaido. The Eastern American chipmunk forms a special subgenus, which is found only in the east of the continent. In the central zone of Europe snared the wild chipmunks, who fled from the profile farms that cultivate them.
If to judge by the landscape-vegetation zone, it is possible to note the following: a small chipmunk has chosen subarctic Canadian coniferous forests, Siberian chipmunk prefer to live in the taiga, the East-American – in the deciduous forests of New England. In addition, some subspecies of chipmunks adapted to life in open areas, among shrubs.
Chipmunk lives in burrows, which suits in the roots of trees or in rotten hemp and very rarely – in hollows. Despite the fact that he, like a squirrel, is a wood dweller, he does not necessarily have the presence of old tall trees – often the chipmunk does well in the thickets of willow, birch and bird cherry. However, most of all he prefers cinders and a windbreak, where it is best to get lost, remaining absolutely imperceptible. Another requirement to the place where the chipmunk lives is the presence of water. That is why they can often be found in thickets along large streams and rivers.
Digging the burrow, the chipmunk pushes the ground as far as possible, taking it away in cheek pouches to a decent distance from his house, so that nothing can betray the presence of the dwelling. Inside it can reach 3 meters and, in addition to 1 nest camera, have a few more – 1-2 for stocks and 1-2 for the toilet. The living room is usually covered with leaves and dry vegetation. This camera is intended for night rest, hibernation and the withdrawal of young animals.
