Chipmunks are perhaps the busiest—and arguably cutest—critters scurrying through Montana’s woods and backyards. Members of the squirrel family, these tiny foragers pack more personality—and survival savvy—into their striped bodies than their size might suggest.
They’re omnivores with a strong preference for seeds, nuts,
berries, and fungi—especially mushrooms. Insects and other small invertebrates
round out their diet when available. Chipmunks are relentless in their pursuit
of food.
Interestingly, they rarely drink water directly. Most of
their hydration comes from the foods they eat—berries, juicy plants, and the
occasional sip from a dew-covered leaf. They’re built for efficiency, and it
shows.
Chipmunks are quirky. They flit about with jittery
precision, always one twitch away from dashing into a thicket. That speed is no
accident—it’s survival. As prey animals, chipmunks rely on quick, darting
motions to evade hawks, snakes, foxes, and the neighborhood cat.
Winter brings a change of pace. Rather than fully
hibernate, chipmunks enter a state of torpor, waking occasionally to nibble
from carefully stocked caches. They spend the season in burrows with separate
chambers for sleeping, storing food, and—remarkably—waste.
This time of year, chipmunks are especially active, and
they like to raid Desiree’s flower and berry patches.
These constant raids initiate Mitchell Hegman’s live
trapping season.
In the last couple of days, I’ve captured and released—far
down our country road—six chipmunks from the plant buffet that is the “yard”
around our house. My work is not done. Even as I picked up the last chipmunk I
caught, one of its pals zipped past me at a million miles per hour.
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