Photo by Mary Holland.
During early and mid-autumn, eastern chipmunks are busy gathering nuts, seeds, and fungi to store for winter. Their cheek pouches can stretch to hold as much as 70 sunflower seeds, 32 beechnuts, or 6 acorns at a time. By cramming their mouths as full as possible, chipmunks minimize the number of trips it takes to fill their larders, or underground storage chambers, which can hold half a bushel of food. Come mid-November, chipmunks head into underground burrows and enter a state of torpor. They will visit their food reserves every two to three weeks throughout winter, grabbing a bite to eat between their long naps.