A chipmunk is a small, striped rodent with puffy cheeks that lives in North America and Asia. These quick little animals are easy to recognize: they're about the size of your hand, with brown fur marked by distinctive dark and light stripes running down their backs. Their most charming feature is their expandable cheek pouches, which they stuff with nuts, seeds, and berries to carry back to their underground burrows.

Watch a chipmunk for a few minutes and you'll see why they seem so busy. They're hoarders who spend much of their time gathering and storing food for winter. A single chipmunk might stash several pounds of food in its burrow system, which can include multiple chambers and tunnels. Unlike squirrels, who often forget where they've buried their acorns, chipmunks are organized storekeepers who know exactly where their supplies are.

Chipmunks make a distinctive chip-chip sound, which is how they got their name. They're most active during the day, darting among rocks and logs, and they're common visitors to backyards and parks. Though they look adorable, chipmunks are wild animals: they're surprisingly determined defenders of their territory and will chase off other chipmunks who venture too close to their burrows.