Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-12-29
VII TIE WOODCHUCK
BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF AN EXTREME
LY INTERESTING PET.

A Wild Little Creature That Became DO
mesticated by Kindness-His Long Pc
! riods of Sleep and How He Looked Dur
ing Them-His Awakening.
Some years ago in the spring, Will,
/ travelling on the Belfast Branch railroad
! Just before arriving at Brook Station.
/ CHANGED 70 be looking out of the CA
window and saw a curious looking ami
NAL run under pile of brush in a grave
pit near the track. | concluded at one,
that it must be an albino woodchuck, a:
my husband had told me one had beer
seen in that vicinity. AT the station
| hastily procured basket. and securing
| the assistance of two boys proceeded
without loss of time to the gravel pit
and overhauling some of the brush soor
! found the prize. As had conjectured
! it was an albino woodchuck about two
thirds grown, pure white, with pink
eyes, and as saucy little fellow as one
would care to handle. Without much
difficulty dropped my basket over him,
and securing him returned to the sta
ton. boxed him up and expressed him
home to my husband, with instructions
to keep him on a milk diet until my re-
turn week later.
On returning home found my pet en-
sconced in a nest of cotton, purring away
like contented kitten. He seemed quite
recOnciled to the restraints of captivity,
had already become SO tame as to allow
his beautiful snow white coat to be
stroked, and seemed especially to enjoy
gentle stroking about the face, which
think is characteristic of most wild
animals, and one of the ways of estab-
fishing confidential relations with them.
For the first year his food consisted prin
cipally of bread and milk. with an oC
casional handful of plantain leaves. a
most interesting sight was to watch him
while being fed. He would sit up like a
squirrel. holding his food in his paws.
He soon learned to take his milk from a
spoon. Grasping it near the bowl, he
would hold it very gracefully until the
milk was all Tapped out; then, with lit
tie assistance, would return it to the CUP
to be filled, and repeat the operation until
his appetite was satisfied. Then he would
go into his nest, roll himself up like a
kitten and take nap of several hours.
With one exception he never showed his
wild, savage nature during the two years
of his life in confinement.
Early in the fall the disposition to hi
bernate began to show itself by his lack
of activity, and he remained in his nest
most of the time, his sleep becoming so
profound that he could be taken from
the nest without awaking. About Nov
l his sleep for the winter began. He
was placed in the cellar. where the tenn
perature was very even-just above the
freezing point-and here he remained
without being disturbed until the mid
die of March.
During all this time his body remained
cold, and to all Outward appearances life
less. About th. time of his awakening
in March, upon visiting him and placing
my hand on his body, | found it to be
quite warm. and after rubbing him for
a few moments he began to yawn and
stretch, but did not get upon his feet
The next day took him into a warm
room in order to watch the process of
awakening, rubbing his body and legs
for an hour or more. He seemed quite
Indifferent to my solicitude on his be-
half, but gradually awakened, opened
his eyes, chartered his teeth. and gave
that peculiar whicker so characteristic
of a disturbed woodchuck
His efforts to stand upon his feet were
for some hours Intellectual. He seemed
to have lost the use of them. Toward
night, however, he seemed to regain full
control of all his faculties and partook
of little milk. was surprised to no
tice but little loss of fat during the long
period of sleep. He had become ex-
cessively fat before going into his win
ter sleep, and expected that would be
absorbed during that period. His fur
had become long and of a beautiful sill
very gloss-so white and silky that it
was pleasure to stroke and pet him.
Upon his first awakening and for
day or two he seemed to have forgotten
his friends and manifested his wild ma
ture so much as to make himself very
disagreeable. He ate with voracious
appetite and began to grow thin. In a
few days he became mere skeleton of
his former self, and for several weeks
until June did not begin to take on
flesh. He now displayed more activity
than at any other time during the year.
The following winter his sleep was in
terrupted once in two weeks This was
done by wrapping him in warm fannels
and placing him in a warm room. He
partook of but little food, and during
the period of two days of broken rest he
seemed very uneasy. About the last of
March, when he should have awakened
to activity, he was taken sick and died
in convulsions after sickness of two
days now have him nicely mounted
in my collection, among which are
several albinos, but none so perfect as
my beautiful pet. - Cor. Forest and