194 



MAMMALS OF AMERICA 



tail, out comes a whistling bark, down jerks his 

 tail, out comes another bark. He never whistles 

 or barks without a jerk of the tail. It seems 

 to be a trigger to set off his emotions. 



The " Say " Chipmunk is one of several 

 species found throughout the ^^'est, and often 

 varies externally only slightly in color. An 

 expert naturalist can hardly determine the mem- 

 bers of the different races in the field where 

 the ranges of two or more overlap. The main 



holes among the rocks for its home, or it may 

 make a burrow. 



Acorns, seeds of pine and of spruce trees and 

 various other seeds furnish its principal food. 

 It is likely however, that it will eat insects and 

 young birds when the occasion offers. 



In autumn it lays up a generous supply of 

 food, and when the weather begins to get cold 

 the \\'estern Chipmunk, like its Eastern cousin, 

 takes to winter quarters, curls up and sleeps. 





i 



Photograph by J. M. Johnson 



SAY'S CHIPMUNK 

 Busy is just the word to characterize this little fellow. From morning to night he is on the move 



characteristics of this form, therefore, will be 

 those of all. Food, of course, will vary some- 

 what with the locality. That of the desert will 

 be somewhat different from that of the mottn- 

 tains. The \\'estern form of Chipmtmk is even 

 less a creature of the woods than its Eastern 

 relative. It is seldom found in trees, while the 

 Eastern cousin has been seen running tip small 

 trees after food. The open country is more 

 suited to its taste, with trees and berry bushes 

 scattered about, and plenty of rock-strewn, 

 sunny spaces between. In these spaces it finds 



In parts of Colorado it seems to break its slum- 

 ber occasionally, as it has been seen every month 

 during mild winters. 



Four to six yoimg appear in spring or early 

 summer according to the altitude, ^^'here camps 

 are established, mills built or a new section of 

 country is irrigated, the Chipmimks are sure to 

 swarm to get the extra food afforded by the 

 refuse thrown out, or by the extra grain raised. 

 In Yellowstone National Park a closely related 

 species is verv abundant at the camping places 

 established at intervals along the roads. The at- 



