Hobbies And Interests
Diet
The gray-collared chipmunk is mainly an herbivore, but it has been observed preying on birds and other small mammals, says the University of Michigan. Its diet comprises mainly seeds that it gathers from the ground and also from the branches of trees and shrubs; it's also a good climber. The arid altitude where these chipmunks live means that the ground isn't thick with vegetation, but other than seeds, the gray-collared chipmunk survives on cherry and plum pits, worms, green vegetation, mushrooms and fungi, as well as currants, gooseberries and insects.
Storage
During its collection expeditions, the gray-collared chipmunk stores its food in its cheeks. Its cheek pouch capacity increases with age, but at maturity, the pouch can stretch to three times the size of the chipmunk's head, according to the Flagstaff Lab of the Rocky Mountain Research Station. When its cheeks are full the chipmunk deposits the food in his burrow or in shallow holes nearby. This food will last him through the winter.
Hibernation
Gray-collared chipmunks, like other chipmunks, usually don't sleep through the whole winter but may emerge now and then to look for food. The gray-collared chipmunk likely sleeps through the coldest months of the winter but may be active during the milder months, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. After hibernation, the chipmunk emerges to forage for any seeds that remain. It may eat young shoots and leaves until seeds emerge.
Food Shortages
Scarcity of food is one of the leading causes of population decline among gray-collared chipmunks. Sometimes there isn't enough food to gather prior to hibernation and the chipmunks die. Apparently, however, food shortages don't occur frequently enough to threaten the overall gray-collared chipmunk population, reports the University of Michigan.