Chipmunks Essay

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The only way to get a look at a chipmunk nest would be to locate a burrow and dig up a wide area in order to try and expose the natal site. However, I don’t recommend that and certainly would not do it myself. Nonetheless, some biologists have studied chipmunk burrows and nest sites and from them we get some idea of what they are like. Woods (1980) says that the tunnel descends sharply for the first 15 to 20 cm and then after a more gradual descent to a depth of about 65 cm, the tunnel "may continue parallel to the surface for up to 3 m before it terminates in an oval-shaped sleeping chamber," which is roughly 32 cm in diameter and lined with leaves. (CHIPMUNKS at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden by Christine Hanrahan) The Eastern chipmunk typically inhabits mature woodlands and woodlot edges, but they are also found in and around suburban and rural homes. The home range of a chipmunk may be up to 1/2 acre, but the adult only defends a territory of about 50 feet around the burrow entrance. Chipmunks are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Chipmunks favor areas with stone walls or rotting logs and heavy ground cover. They burrow, but excavate the soil, so tunnel entrances are well concealed. (Ohio State University Extension Factsheet Horticulture and Crop Science 2001 Fyffe Court, Columbus, OH 43210-1096) As the human population continues to grow and industrialize, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases alter the climate around the world. For the Eastern chipmunk's habitat, experts believe global climate change will alter rainfall and decrease snow. As the weather warms, the Eastern chipmunk may wake up from its false hibernation more frequently. More time awake strains food resources, and if the chipmunk did not store enough food in the fall, it will starve before spring can bear more food. Decreased rainfall also alters the times food is

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