Evening star., 1948-01-14
This and That
By Charles E. TraceWeH.

NEW1ON NE.
Sometime please tell us through your valu-
able column whether or not chipmunks hiber-
nate for the winter.
"A family of chipmunks played around the
yard and disappeared with the first cold wave
and have not been seen since.
1T is of course possible cat killed them.
Cordially, H. c. c."
Chpmunks hibernate.
But instead Of going into the winter sleep fat.
as other hibernating animals do, they are just
as likely to begin it slim.
In other words, the food they store for
themselves is probably eaten, at least some
Of it, after they retire. although experts are
not agreed on this. Experts seldom agree on
anything, especially nowadays.
An expert, some one has said, is any one
who writes or speaks twice on the same theme!
Well, anyway, just what the chipmunks do
with their food is a bit of mystery. but at
any rate they take enough in with them.
These fairies of the underworld, as they
might be called, manage to harvest about
bushel and half in their harvest months"
August, September and October.
After that, depending upon, the weather,
they go underground, and are seen no more
until. spring.
In this vicinity they begin to hibernate about
October 15 and come up for air again about
March Is.
In New York, the chipmunks go underground
October l. and come out April l.
All depends, of course, upon the exact
weather.
Since Chipmunks are seldom fat when they
retire for the cold season, they probably eat
some of the food they gather up, and save the
remainder for the days just after awakening
for when they come forth, with their character
istic ruch and spirit they are just as 1.-the and
sleek as ever.
What are the foods they store up?
Acorns, hickory nuts, beechnuts, seeds and
grains-these comprise that bushel and half,
which may be dispersed three or more places
in the underground.
The chambers and tunnels dug by these little
creatures are marvelously well DONE There
may be three or more rooms, led to by varying
tunnels, with as many as five or more separate
entrances.
These entrances are not in the open, but con-
cealed beneath stones, etc.
As much as several quarts of food may be
found in one chamber.
An animal can carry four hickory nuts in his
pouches at cne time. This seems lot but it
would take many trips to store up bushel
Chipmunks also eat, in season, birds eggs
and baby birds. but it may be supposed that
they do not take too many OF these.
+
It is possible for these agile animals to run
up a tree trunk or shrub for certain distance,
so that if the bird nest is not too high, the sad
price must be paid, If the parent birds are not
at hand to drive the intruders away.
Chipmunks also consume many quarts Of
inimical insects in year.
They are not sound sleepers, so it is be-
ieved that they manage to roll over now, and
then, and take bite of food.
They may be domesticated, but in all such
cases should have the advantage of an exer-
else Wheel such as may be seen in many of
the cages in the small mammal house at the
Zoo.
The best way to tame them-atter the
nesting season, which begins Immediately with
their emergence into the light of days to
extend to them food, keep very quiet, and try
to win their friendship.
In this way some sort of relationship may
be built up, and the animals still have all the
advantages of their active outdoor life.