Mid-November Visitor

The weather was quite warm today and the sun was bright, that brought this cheeky fellow above ground to collect more peanuts for winter dining below ground in his cozy burrow. I was so happy to see him fill his cheeks, take a big drink and enjoy the sunshine. If this good weather continues, I expect we might see more of him before beds down, underground until perhaps a warm day in February when he might test the above ground temps.

Here are some interesting facts about chipmunks:

Cheek pouches: Chipmunks have cheek pouches that can expand to three times the size of their head. They use these pouches to carry food like nuts and seeds back to their burrows to store for the winter. 

Burrows: Chipmunks dig burrows that can be up to 30 feet long and 3 feet deep.They are very territorial about their burrows and spend most of the winter sleeping there. 

Food: Chipmunks eat a variety of foods, including seeds, nuts, berries, fungi, insects, and sometimes carrion. They can collect up to 165 acorns in a day. 

Communication: Chipmunks have a complex communication system that uses a variety of calls with different meanings. 

Tree climbers: Chipmunks are excellent tree climbers and can also swim. 

Lifespan: Baby chipmunks leave their parents' den at one month of age and are independent within eight weeks. 

Color vision: Some studies suggest that eastern chipmunks can differentiate between red and green. 

Sleep: Captive chipmunks sleep for about 15 hours per day. 

Species: There are 25 species of chipmunk, 24 of which live in North America.

A group of chipmunks is called a scurry.


For the Record,
This day came in warm and sunny. We spent the day moving things out of the dining room to prepare for the repainting tomorrow. The question is, will the cats remain paint free?

All hands very tired.