The Eastern Chipmunk - Part 1: Spring wake up

This video is the first of three which make up my treatment of the eastern chipmunk. The pandemic has forced me to film creatures closer to home in rural southern Rhode Island. Whenever possible I try to show species as they live their lives throughout the Natural Year.
Chipmunks use underground burrows which include a tunnel system, a food storage area and a nesting chamber. Here they spend the winter, but they don't hibernate like bears. Instead they wake up periodically, feed on their stockpile of nuts and seeds and go back to sleep. Some individuals wake up early and venture out into a still frozen world. Those who were born the previous year and survived the winter must build their own burrow for the first time. In times when the population thrives, home ranges may overlap causing conflicts among neighbors. On average chipmunks live 2-3 years and if food is scares, population crashes are not uncommon. The next video will feature a family of four enjoying the bounty of summer.