How to Breed a Pet Chipmunk

In contrast to some exotic pets, chipmunks can be easy to breed. If you provide the proper conditions for your chipmunks, they can have up to seven babies in their first litter of the season. You can expect a second litter if you keep the male and female together all spring and summer.

Things You'll Need

• Adequate-sized enclosure
• Substrate (bark or peat)
• Rodent seed mix
• Soft bedding
• Wooden box

Instructions

House Your Pet Chipmunks for Optimal Breeding Conditions

1. Know that chipmunks are very social creatures and will happily live in groups.

2. Plan on buying at least one of each sex for breeding purposes.

3. Check the eyes and fur of the chipmunks prior to purchasing. The tail should be full, the fur clean and the eyes bright and shiny.

4. Try to purchase younger chipmunks to ensure healthy breeding activity. Chipmunks usually begin breeding at around one year of age.

5. Look for chipmunks from a breeder, if possible, to receive accurate birthdates, family lines, and a lower price as well.

Create Ideal Breeding Conditions

1. Create a cage that is quite large for your pair of chipmunks. The ideal cage size should measure six feet by six feet by four feet.

2. Add at least six inches of substrate to the bottom of the cage to allow chipmunks to bury their food and burrow as they please. Use peat or bark.

3. Include a deep nest box with an entrance hole, a removable bottom to aid cleaning, and soft nesting materials such as grasses and cotton.

4. Add a shallow dish of cool water. This will need to be changed twice daily.

5. Place a dish of food in the chipmunks' cage. They will enjoy a seed mixture formulated for rodents, supplemented with a few vegetable pieces per day of your choice.

Determine the Sex of Your Chipmunks

1. Find out your chipmunk's sex by first picking it up and turning it on its back. Have its genitals facing towards you for ease of inspection.

2. Look for two bumps on the underside of the chipmunk in the genitalia area.

3. Know that the female's bumps will be located close to one another, while the males will have a space between them of about .4 inches.

Breed Your Chipmunks

1. Plan on breeding your chipmunks in the spring or summer. They usually won't breed during the fall or winter.

2. Pay attention to the sounds your female chipmunk makes. Frequent chirping or chattering can signal readiness to mate.

3. Introduce your chipmunks to the new cage. With the new surroundings, the chipmunks are more likely to get along and adjust together.

4. Watch your chipmunks' behavior closely. Mating usually occurs after they chase each other for a few minutes.

5. Keep in mind that while your female chipmunk is pregnant, she will stay active. Your chipmunk will give birth after 28 to 35 days.

Tips & Warnings

• When selecting a pet chipmunk, be sure to ask whether or not they are from the same litter. The male and female will need to be from different bloodlines.

• You won't need to complete this section if your chipmunks have already been sexed. However, it is important to verify the sexing when purchasing your chipmunk from the pet store and after your chipmunks have young.

• If the chipmunks seem to be fighting excessively, then you can separate the male and female. Leave the male in the cage for 24 hours and then reintroduce the female.