We wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Terhune Lab!

Unfortunately, one of our local chipmunks will not be singing this year due to a tragic accident involving the neighbor’s dog. However, we at the Terhune lab believe it would have wanted its body donated to science during this season of giving.

There are 15 species of chipmunks in the United States, and the two most common species are the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) and the Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus). Our unfortunate chipmunk was an Eastern Chipmunk, which inhabit woodland habitats ranging anywhere from the Southeastern Canadian provinces to the eastern United States. He would have been terrestrial and arboreal but his burrow would be underground.

For more information on Eastern Chipmunks, visit the Animal Diversity Web page here. Let’s hope that Alvin and the rest of the chipmunks stay safe this holiday season, and we wish the same for you. Happy Holidays!