Here's the thing. You said a "chipmunk is a squirrel."
Is it in the same family? Yes. No one's arguing that.
As someone who is a scientist who studies squirrels, I am telling you, specifically, in science, no one calls chipmunks squirrels. If you want to be "specific" like you said, then you shouldn't either. They're not the same thing.
If you're saying "squirrel family" you're referring to the taxonomic grouping of Sciuridae, which includes things from tree squirrels to ground squirrels to flying squirrels.
So your reasoning for calling a chipmunk a squirrel is because random people "call the big-cheeked ones squirrels?" Let's get hamsters and gophers in there, then, too.
Also, calling someone a human or an ape? It's not one or the other, that's not how taxonomy works. They're both. A chipmunk is a chipmunk and a member of the squirrel family. But that's not what you said. You said a chipmunk is a squirrel, which is not true unless you're okay with calling all members of the squirrel family squirrels, which means you'd call hamsters, gophers, and other rodents squirrels, too. Which you said you don't.
It's okay to just admit you're wrong, you know?
Edit: Everyone on this website is too young now. This is one of the most infamous copypastas in reddit history. Google "Unidan jackdaws"
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u/copewithlifebyliving 8h ago
Thats a chipmunk.
Edit, looking back it's as large as a squirrel. Someone please inform me what type of squirrel this is.