General Information:
Buying and selling chipmunks is illegal in Great Britain due to them being classed as an invasive alien species by the European Commission.
If you own a chipmunk, you're legally allowed to keep them throughout their natural lives, but please be familiar regarding the laws of keeping chipmunks.
Buying and selling chipmunks is illegal in Great Britain due to them being classed as an invasive alien species by the European Commission.
If you own a chipmunk, you're legally allowed to keep them throughout their natural lives, but please be familiar regarding the laws of keeping chipmunks.
The most commonly kept chipmunks are Siberian chipmunks that originate from Siberia and throughout Asia. They're an active rodent that can live on average 4-6 years, but ages up to 10 years have been documented.
They usually exhibit diurnal behaviour and are omnivorous.
Despite being a social rodent, chipmunks - commonly referred to as 'ground squirrels' - typically aren't easy to handle, and can be quite hard to keep. Due to this, we would only recommend chipmunks to keepers who're experienced with exotic rodents.
Care:
Housing/Enrichment:
Chipmunks are best housed in large metal bird cages or aviaries. They're highly intelligent, active, and can easily escape. Most keepers recommend having a cage that you can 'section-off' into secure areas for cleaning and maintaining their cage to help prevent escapes.
Ideally, the cage should have either a deep base full of substrate for foraging and digging, or have a digging box for foraging and digging. In the wild, chipmunks will spend most of their days foraging for food, and hoarding food.
As active and intelligent rodents, you must provide chipmunks with plenty of enrichment. Chipmunks will utilise ropes, nest boxes (have at least 1 per chipmunk), bridges, ladders, branches, and shelving.
Socialising:
In the wild, chipmunks live in loose colonies and mostly socialise for mating purposes. For this reason, we strongly encourage that you house chipmunks in neutered male/female groups or a group of females.
Your chipmunks must have areas or beds in their living environment where they can retreat to if they want some alone time.
Not all chipmunks are compatible and sometimes individuals will never get along.
The same applies when we socialise with our chipmunks. If obtained from a reputable breeder, your chipmunks may be tame, however, that doesn't mean they'll sit for cuddles. Most chipmunks don't enjoy being stroked and would much rather explore and play.
When free-roaming your chipmunks, ensure they're in a safe space that has been proofed.
Diet:
Chipmunks are omnivores, meaning they need both plant and animal materials to stay healthy.
Fortunately, there are suitable chipmunk mueslis commercially available. Even if feeding chipmunk muesli, it's still important that you add in other food items:
One of our trustees is an experienced chipmunk owner and has kindly shared a sample of their diet:
Please feel free to ask questions.
They usually exhibit diurnal behaviour and are omnivorous.
Despite being a social rodent, chipmunks - commonly referred to as 'ground squirrels' - typically aren't easy to handle, and can be quite hard to keep. Due to this, we would only recommend chipmunks to keepers who're experienced with exotic rodents.
Care:
Housing/Enrichment:
Chipmunks are best housed in large metal bird cages or aviaries. They're highly intelligent, active, and can easily escape. Most keepers recommend having a cage that you can 'section-off' into secure areas for cleaning and maintaining their cage to help prevent escapes.
Ideally, the cage should have either a deep base full of substrate for foraging and digging, or have a digging box for foraging and digging. In the wild, chipmunks will spend most of their days foraging for food, and hoarding food.
As active and intelligent rodents, you must provide chipmunks with plenty of enrichment. Chipmunks will utilise ropes, nest boxes (have at least 1 per chipmunk), bridges, ladders, branches, and shelving.
Socialising:
In the wild, chipmunks live in loose colonies and mostly socialise for mating purposes. For this reason, we strongly encourage that you house chipmunks in neutered male/female groups or a group of females.
Your chipmunks must have areas or beds in their living environment where they can retreat to if they want some alone time.
Not all chipmunks are compatible and sometimes individuals will never get along.
The same applies when we socialise with our chipmunks. If obtained from a reputable breeder, your chipmunks may be tame, however, that doesn't mean they'll sit for cuddles. Most chipmunks don't enjoy being stroked and would much rather explore and play.
When free-roaming your chipmunks, ensure they're in a safe space that has been proofed.
Diet:
Chipmunks are omnivores, meaning they need both plant and animal materials to stay healthy.
Fortunately, there are suitable chipmunk mueslis commercially available. Even if feeding chipmunk muesli, it's still important that you add in other food items:
- Suitable nuts such as hemp, millet, hazel, and peanuts
- Fruit and vegetables (as chipmunks love to hoard food, please check their cage to remove any food that may spoil if uneaten)
- Insects such as locusts, crickets, and mealworms.
- Forage such as flowers, leaves, bark, and roots.
One of our trustees is an experienced chipmunk owner and has kindly shared a sample of their diet:
- 2.5kg hamster/gerbil muesli mix
- 750g sunflower seeds
- 750g monkey nuts
- 500g maize
- 500g canary seeds
- 500g millet
- 500g tropical dried fruit
- 250g mixed nut
- 100g mealworms
Please feel free to ask questions.