"SCIURUS" the squirrel

“Tamias” would like to travel across the Northern Hemisphere and visit caches where other chipmunks might visit but stay away from large human settlements where it might fall prey to predators.

Now with a new name and image, "Sciurus" the squirrel will like to travel as "Tamias" did.

The word “Tamias” is the genus name for chipmunk that is Greek for “treasurer”, which is a reference to the animals’ role in plant seed dispersal where it stores away seeds underground until spars periods.

Chipmunks are found across North America with another subspecies found in Asia. When looking up on these little guys I found it interesting how the name has been spelt: chitmunk, chipmonk, chipmuck, and chipminck plus my favourite “chip squirrel” referring to it’s most common call or the name “timber tiger”.

Although small creatures, chipmunks have been successful due to their omnivorous diet of plants, shoots, fungi, insects, frogs, worms, bird’s eggs, cereals, and around human habitation, bird seeds and garden produce. The chipmunk cheek pouches come in handy to carry this variety of foods to be stored in their burrows until needed.

Some chipmunks have 2 litters per year of 4-5 young which emerge from their burrows after 6 weeks and within the next few weeks they strike out to find their own territory. Some chipmunk burrows can be up to 3.5 meters in length with several well camouflaged entrances. Separate sleeping quarters are in drier areas and not where food is stored. During inclement weather and winter, shells and waste are deposited in refuse tunnels.

Although cute and sometimes funny characters, chipmunks also play an important role as prey for other mammals and birds. I hope this little guy does not fall prey to some cacher predator! In the wild they may live 3 years while some in captivity have gone 9 years.

The original trackable has been lost but we have replaced it with a likewise forest critter, a squirrel "Sciurus". Being also a small rodent, these follow almost the same life cycle and habits.