Safety First

We confess to a fondness for chipmunks. Perhaps it's that they are so little, yet so bold. And busy. Perhaps it's those cheek pouches, which give it an endearlingly comic aspect. Or the fact that they will come sit on your hand, without offering to bite.

Maybe it's that they got a cute Latin name: Tamias. Or that there is only one species that lives outside of North America (in Northern Asia).

Perhaps it's because they have individual burrows -- and spend up to 3 months stuffing those burrows with food supplies -- but still allow their territories to overlap. They also stash food in holes dug in the ground near the burrow, just in case. Chipmunks like to plan ahead. As long as other chipmunks stay away from the actual burrow zone, a space about 50' in width, they can get along quite well. Those burrows can be up to 30' long, too! While 2 to 4 chipmunks per acre is an "industry standard", there can be as many as 10 per acre where food sources are good.

There's a bunch of them that enjoy the garden. And we forgive them as they nibble on the discarded corn cobs, and strip out the sunflower seeds. We plant those sunflowers for the birds and the chipmunks, if truth be told, and because they are beautiful to see.


Chipmunks hibernate -- but with a difference. All those seeds they have stashed under their warm fluffy nests serve a purpose. With the onset of the cold winters, chipmunks retreat into their nest, and snooze. It's called a 'torpid' state, a form of restless hibernation, but they wake up every week or so for a snack before going back to sleep.

Diligent little conservationists, Chipmunks are important in the dispersal of seeds because of their habit of storing the seeds beneath the layer of decaying vegetation on the forest floor. Any buried seeds that are not consumed stand a better chance of germinating than those remaining on the surface litter. In this way, chipmunks assist in the spread of shrubs, trees, and other plant.

But at the end of the day, they are just plain cute, appealing, and fun to have around. Which is why it is important to ensure safety measures are in place. We have several sites where drinking water is available -- for the chickens, for the cats, for the horses. These are refreshed regularly, but for a thirsty little chipmunk, they can be very dangerous. So all our water sources include chipmunk-rescue devices. The horses' water trough has a raft. The water bucket by the main office -- well, it has a chipmunk ladder.