PHOTOS
OTHER ANIMAL PHOTOS
IMAGES
INFO
LESSON TO BE LEARNED
I HAVE LIVED IN THIS HOUSE 5 YEARS AND THEY WERE NOT A PROBLEM UNTIL 2 YEARS AGO. THEY LIVED UNDER THE FRONT DOORSTEP. NOW AND AGAIN ONE WOULD GET IN AND WE WOULD CATCH IT WITH A LIVE TRAP AND RELEASE IT. THEN LATER ON THREE BABIES FOUND THEIR WAY INTO THE BASEMENT. WE FINALLY CAUGHT ALL OF THEM AND LET THEM GO. LAST YEAR WE HAD ONE GET IN ABOUT 5 FIVE TIMES. AS SOON AS I TRAPPED AND RELEASED IT, IT WOULD FIND ITS WAY BACK IN, AND IT GOT PRETTY WISE TO THE TRAP. THE LAST TIME IT CAME IN IN IT TOOK US ABOUT 5 DAYS TO CATCH IT. SO WHEN I FINALLY DID TRAP IT I RELOCATED IT.
DIET
THEY LOVE BLACK OIL SUNFLOWER SEEDS AND PEANUTS. THEY ALSO EAT ACORNS,WALNUTS,HAZEL NUTS AND ALMONDS. GIVE THE NUTS IN THEIR SHELL AS IT HELPS THEIR TEETH KEEP TRIM. FRUIT SUCH AS BANANAS, ORANGES, PEARS, GRAPES, PIECES OF APPLE AND BERRIES. FOR PLUMS AND PEACHES REMOVE THE STONES AS THEY CONTAIN A SUBSTANCE WHICH IS POISONOUS TO THEM. BEAN SPROUTS, CARROTS,CORN OR CORN ON THE COB, RAISINS AND SOME VEGETABLES ARE OTHER CHOICES. ONE TRIED TO GET A SMALL POTATO DOWN ITS TUNNEL. I FOUND THE SPUD SITTING BY THE ENTRANCE, OBVIOUSLY IT WAS TOO BIG TO GET THROUGH THE HOLE. THEY ALSO LIKE PLENTY TO DRINK. ALSO SOME RAW EGG NOW AND AGAIN IS A GOOD SOURCE OF PROTEIN AND FRESH WASHED WORMS. YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL BY ITS COAT IF YOU NOT FEEDING IT PROPERLY, IT WILL LOOK DULL.CHIPMUNKS ARE LIKE HUMANS THEY HAVE THEIR FAVORITE FOOD. I PUT A SMALL FRENCH FRY WITH SOME PEANUTS ONE DAY FOR MY VISITOR AND IT CHOSE THE FRENCH FRY OVER THE PEANUTS FOR ITS FIRST CHOICE,
YOUNG
THEY HAVE 1 OR 2 LITTERS A YEAR . I NOTICED THAT THE MOTHER LETS THEM OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GO FAR. THE MOTHER WOULD GO AFTER THEM AND NIP THEM. THEN AFTER A FEW DAYS THEY EXPLORED A BIT FURTHER AND AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OR LESS THEY WERE KICKED OUT AND LEFT TO FEND FOR THEMSELVES. THE MOTHER WOULD EVEN CHASE THEM AWAY FROM THE BIRDSEED THAT I HAD OUT THE BACK.
FEEDING YOUNG
click here and then Priory Vet Feeding and then Hand Rearing & Supplementation of Small Mammals
THEY ARE FED UP TO 6 WEEKS OLD BY THEIR MOTHER THEN HER MILK DRIES UP.
AFTER FEEDING YOU SHOULD WIPE THEIR MOUTHS ,FACES, EARS AND GENITALS WITH A CLEAN DAMP WARM CLOTH. YOU HAVE TO DO THE LAST JOB AS THIS MAKES THEM GO TO THE BATHROOM AS THEY HAVE NO REFLEXES TO PERFORM THESE FUNCTIONS.
CLEAN AND STERILIZE ALL UTENSILS THAT YOU USE TO FEED THEM LIKE YOU WOULD A HUMAN BABY. THEN CLEAN THEM OUT WITH BOILED WATER TO TAKE ANY TASTE AWAY.
BEHAVIOUR
SOME OF THEM CAN BECOME QUITE TAME. WITH A BIT OF PATIENCE THEY WILL TAKE FOOD FROM YOU BUT YOU HAVE TO SIT WITH SOME TEMPTING FOOD IN YOUR HAND AND LET THEM COME TO YOU. I HAVE EVEN HAD SOME COME TO THE SLIDING GLASS DOOR ON OUR SUNDECK LOOKING IN AS THOUGH THEY EXPECT TO BE FED.
HOMES
THEY DIG BURROWS & TUNNELS. SOME OF THEIR TUNNELS CAN BE QUITE LONG AND DIFFERENT TUNNELS LEAD TO DIFFERENT AREAS.THEY HAVE A MAIN NESTING AREA AND AN AREA TO PLACE SOME FOOD. THE ONE IN MY GARDEN LIVES UNDER THE STONE STEPS AND EVERY YEAR DIGS A DIFFERENT ENTRANCE. WHEN THE YOUNG LEAVE THEIR MOTHERS' HOME THEY USUALLY DIG THEIR OWN BURROW CLOSE BY.
ALSO WHEN A BURROW GETS LEFT EMPTY ANOTHER CHIPMUNK WILL TAKE IT OVER.
HIBERNATION
THEY HIBERNATE IN THE WINTER FROM ABOUT THE END OF OCTOBER AND I USUALLY SEE THEM AGAIN AROUND THE END OF MARCH.
TRAPPING
USE A LIVE TRAP BIG ENOUGH FOR RATS. LEAVE THE TRAP IN THE SAME PLACE EVERY DAY WITH SOME FOOD LEADING THE ANIMAL TO THE TRAP (FOR E.G. SUNFLOWER SEEDS, PEANUTS). IN THE TRAP PUT A LUMP OF PEANUT BUTTER. KEEP DOING THIS UNTIL THEY GET TO KNOW WHERE THE TRAP IS GOING TO BE EVERY DAY AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS DO NOT LEAVE A TRAIL OF FOOD JUST THE LUMP OF PEANUT BUTTER INSIDE IT. THESE ANIMALS FOLLOW THE SAME ROUTINES ALMOST EVERY DAY. IF YOU PUT FOOD OUT THE SAME TIME EVERY DAY THEY WILL GET USED TO THE IDEA.EVENTUALLY THEY WILL GO INSIDE THE TRAP FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER LOOKING FOR THE FOOD. THE PEANUT BUTTER IS GOOD BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LICK IT AND IT GIVES THE TRAP TIME TO GO. IT DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK THE FIRST TIME THOUGH!!!IT TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE SOME TIMES. OTHER TIMES IT HAPPENS QUICK.CHECK THE TRAP OFTEN AS THEY ARE ENERGETIC AND NERVOUS LITTLE ANIMALS. REMEMBER IN THE SPRING AND SUMMER THEY GENERALLY HAVE 2 LITTERS AND IF YOU CARE ABOUT THEM DO NOT TRAP THEM UNTIL ABOUT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
IT YOU ARE TRAPPING AN ANIMAL OUTSIDE, YOU WILL HAVE TO FILL THEIR BURROW UP AS ANOTHER CHIPMUNK WILL TAKE IT OVER.
BREEDING
KEEP ONE MALE TO 2 OR 3 FEMALES OTHERWISE THE MALES WILL FIGHT WHEN THE FEMALES COME INTO SEASON. FEMALES START TO BREED IN THE SPRING THE BREEDING SEASON IS FROM MARCH TO SEPTEMBER, THE MAIN MONTHS BEING APRIL/MAY AND JULY/AUGUST, PRODUCING 2 LITTERS, 3 MONTHS APART.NOT ALL OF THEM WILL PRODUCE 2 LITTERS.
GENDER
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE ADULT MALE'S PENIS DURING THE BREEDING SEASON, THE SAC (SCROTUM) BECOMES BIGGER. THERE IS A BIGGER DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ANUS AND THE GENITAL AREA IN THE MALES THAN THE FEMALE.
CHIRPING
THE FEMALE CHIPMUNK CHIRPS CONTINUOUSLY WHILE IN SEASON TO ATTRACT A MATE.
PREGNANCY
A FEMALE IS USUALLY PREGNANT FOR ABOUT 32 DAYS. AFTER THE BABIES ARE BORN DO NOT TRY AND PEEP AT THE BABIES THE MOTHER DOES NOT LIKE IT
LINKS
French Bulldogs, Min Sheep, Toy Aussies and English Toy Spaniels
Other links
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