Wednesday, September 13, 2006,9:36 pm

Chipmunk is the common name for any small
squirrel-like
rodent species of the genus
Tamias in the family
Sciuridae. About 23 species fall under this title, with one species in northeastern
Asia, one in the eastern portions of Canada and the US, and the rest native to the western part of
North America.
Though they are commonly depicted with their paws up to the mouth, eating peanuts, or more famously their cheeks bulging out on either side, chipmunks eat a much more diverse range of foods than just nuts.
If unmolested they often become bold enough to accept food from the hands of humans. The temptation to pick up or pet any wild animal should be strictly avoided. While rabies is exceptionally rare, if not non-existent, in rodents, chipmunk bites can transmit virulent and dangerous bacterial infections.
Giggles, one of the characters in the
Flash cartoon "
Happy Tree Friends" is a pink chipmunk (For the cast consists of colourful forest animals.)