Were you looking?

Hello, Chuttering One,

Were you looking?

The monster birds came to see us-- did you see them? Then Brinks and Pimmy went ballistic and away they went. These big turkeys take their time "beating it." They just saunter away unless something is really on their heels. One of them flew away -- wow! Good thing they don't like to take chipmunks for a ride. We are called GROUND squirrels, after all. I never did like the idea of flying.

Did you know that I am featured on a special website? With a great photo. I'm pretty famous (although no where near as famous as Puxatawnee Phil-- he and Mickey Mouse have pretty much taken up the top billing for rodents, I think)--but what I want to know is how they found out about my housing? Who has been snooping around in my house??? I don't like it.

Anyway, here's the report. Go ahead and step on the mouse! You'll see that it's genuine info!

Chippy the Sort of Famous

BURROWS: A chipmunk's burrow system is quite amazing. They dig an entrance
hole 1½ to 2 inches diameter leading to a working tunnel 10 to 30 feet deep,
which they excavate through the soil. (see that? They say I'm AMAZING!)

Off the tunnel they excavate chambers for sleeping, storing food, defecating, and a nursery chamber if the burrow belongs to a female. (REALLY-- did they have to get so personal as to even snoop in my bathroom?? maybe it was someone else's burrow -- some chick-chip. )

Some observers have determined that chipmunks often store different kinds of foods in different chambers. (how many "observers" are they talking about? grr.)

The nest chamber, which measures a foot across and 6-8 inches high is lined with grasses and dry leaves. This chamber is used for sleeping, giving birth and overwintering.

Once the chambers have been completed the chipmunk tunnels outward from one of the chambers, using the dirt to plug the working tunnel and making a new entrance hole. As a result, the entrance hole, which is usually located under stonewalls, fallen trees or rocks, has no mound of dirt around it to attract predators. (…probably is the reason I don't get bitten by rabid summerbeaches.)

Anyway, there you have it. And I know for a fact that it was not a cat who did the research for this. I mean, look at the information about the narrowness of the place! Now I know your whiskers would tell you NO WAY if you poked your pink little nose into my front door.

Cheerfully, Chippy