Chipmunks are ground-dwelling rodents of the squirrel family. One species that is common in North America is Tamias striatus, the eastern chipmunk. The eastern chipmunk is 5.5-7 in. long (14-18 cm ), not including a 4 in. (10-cm) tail. It weighs up to 5 oz (142 g) . Chipmunks carry food in cheek pouches. They sleep in winter but leave their burrows on warm days.

Chipmunks are easily recognized by the light and dark stripes on the back and head. They can be confused with some of the striped ground squirrels, but chipmunks are smaller, bear facial markings, and have five dark stripes on their backs, including a distinct, central line that extends forward onto the head. Ground squirrels do not have markings on the head.

Least Chipmunk(Eutamias minimus) has stripes reaching the tail. Its range extends through central and northern Ontario. Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is the larger of the two chipmunk species in Ontario.

Chipmunks are solitary animals. In Canada, chipmunks usually have only one breeding season from mid-April to mid-May and one litter. A chipmunk spends much of its day collecting and storing food. A chipmunk's diet is seeds and nuts supplemented with insects, earthworms, berries, cherry and plum pits, mushrooms and occasionally eggs.

Chipmunks can be seriously wounded when they compete among themselves for females or with large animals such as red squirrels for food and space. Chipmunks must practice constant vigilance to avoid their many predators, including hawks, weasels, coyotes, foxes, snakes and, in inhabited areas, cats are a real danger.

• Tamias alpinus (Alpine Chipmunk)
• T. amoenus (Yellow pine Chipmunk)
• T. canipes (Gray-footed Chipmunk)
• T. cinereicollis (Gray-Collared Chipmunk)
• T. dorsalis (Cliff Chipmunk)
• T. merriami (Merriam's Chipmunk)
• T. minimus (Least Chipmunk)
• T. obscurus (California Chipmunk)
• T. ohrogenys (Yellow-cheeked Chipmunk)
• T. palmeri (Palmer's Chipmunk)
• T. panamintinus (Panamint Chipmunk)
• T. quadrimaculatus (Long-eared Chipmunk)
• T. quadrivittatus (Colorado Chipmunk)
• T. ruficaudatus (Red-Tailed Chipmunk)
• T. rufus (Hopi Chipmunk)
• T. senex (Allen's Chipmunk)
• T. sibiricus (Siberian Chipmunk)
• T. siskiyou (Siskiyou Chipmunk)
• T. sonomae (Sonoma Chipmunk)
• T. speciosus (Lodgepole Chipmunk)
• T. striatus (Eastern Chipmunk)
• T. townsendii (Townsend's Chipmunk)
• T. umbrinus (Uinta Chipmunk)