Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots (including woodchucks), flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. (Wikipedia)
What is the difference between a chipmunk and a squirrel?
Chipmunks are small mammals with distinct stripes, while the tree squirrel is larger and doesn't have stripes. The ground squirrel has body stripes like chipmunks, but no head stripes. A tree squirrel is larger, has a longer tail and no stripes.
They all have short fur and small rounded ears.
Chipmunks range from 6 to 12 inches (16 - 30 cm) in length.
Ground squirrels range from 8 to 12 inches (25 - 30 cm) in length.
Tree squirrels are 12 to 20 inches (38 - 52 cm) in length, including the tail.
What do they eat?
Tree squirrels feed mostly on plant material, including seeds, nuts, acorns, tree buds, berries, leaves, and twigs. Chipmunks have a similar diet, but smaller plants are consumed.
One study of a least chipmunk's food caches revealed some 478 acorns and over 2000 cherry pits.
Chipmunk Calls: The chipmunk makes a variety of calls including clucks calls and high-pitched chips. Chipmunks are very vocal and some of the calls sound like bird chirps.
Squirrel Calls: The call of the Eastern gray squirrel— que, que, que, que —is usually accompanied by flicks of the tail. The alarm call is a series of rapid clicking sounds—kuk, kuk, kuk—which warns all other nearby squirrels of danger. A commonly heard vocalization is a rasping whisk accompanied by a flick of the tail.
Range and Habitats:
Chipmunk - Hinterland's Who's Who
Eastern Grey Squirrel - Hinterland's Who's Who
Chipmunk - Wikipedia
Squirrel - Wikipedia
Wilson, D. E.; D. M. Reeder (2005). "Mammal Species of the World (MSW)"
Maser, Chris. Mammals of the Pacific Northwest: From the Coast to the High Cascades. Corvalis: Oregon State University Press, 1998.
Photos: Tim Knight; Natures Pics