FRIDAY THE 13TH IS ON THURSDAY THIS MONTH

CLASS: Mammalia; ORDER: Rodentia: FAMILY: Sciuridae.......blood kin to mice, rats, porcupines, etc.
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This is the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) a common resident in North America, particularly the northern states. Wisconsin has them in spades.  Often confused with Gophers (Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrels...Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) although they are related ONLY in that they are both rodents.
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Chipmunks are characteristic of woodlands; Gophers are characteristic of open grassland.  Both are prime fox and hawk prey.
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This one is very busy this time of year hoarding acorns, walnuts, other nuts, wheat, barley, corn, oats, etc. as well as certain mushrooms to tide them over the winter months.  They are "partial" hibernators waking every week or so for short periods of time to eat stored food, defecate and urinate instead of living off of stored fat like our local black bears...which are true hibernators.
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INTERESTING ASIDE:  My niece Julie, when she was very young, had trouble pronouncing Chipmunk.....she called them Pinkfunks.  So to this day, in our family, chipmunks are known as Pinkfunks.
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