134 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA [No. 55 



In places where they come around camps and cabins they often 

 become very tame and will even take food from the hand. Generally, 

 however, they are shy and timid and have need to be constantly alert 

 for enemies. 



Hibernation. When the snow gets deep they disappear, and no 

 tracks are seen until spring. At Fort Klamath, Harry Telford said 

 they had not appeared when he left there on March 9, 1914, and that 

 the first one noted at Klamath Falls that year was on March 12. The 

 fact that they do not become very fat in the fall makes it somewhat 

 doubtful if true hibernation is practiced. Further observations are 

 needed to settle this point. 



Breeding habits. As usual in chipmunks the mammae of the fe- 

 males are arranged in 4 pairs 1 inguinal, 2 abdominal, and 1 

 pectoral. The young are usually 4 or 5, as shown by embryos in 

 specimens collected in April, May, June, and July. This variation 

 in dates may mean two litters of young in a season or merely the 

 irregular breeding of females of different ages. The young do not 

 appear out of the nest until nearly half grown and well able to take 

 care of themselves. Little is known of the actual breeding habits 

 or of the early lives of the young in their underground nests. 



Food habits. The food of these beautiful little chipmunks is com- 

 posed largely of seeds of various flowering plants, grasses, berries, 

 bulbs, roots, green vegetation, and insects. The animals are great 

 storers, and their cheek pouches are often found distended with seeds 

 or other food to be carried to their underground storehouses for win- 

 ter use. It is not definitely known, however, whether those stores 

 near their warm nests are eaten during the winter, or whether the 

 aiiimals sleep soundly in hibernation during the long, cold, snowy 

 time and save their hoarded food for the early spring when other 

 food is scarce. 



Economic status. From their wide range and abundance these 

 small chipmunks may be of considerable economic importance. Their 

 actual destruction of crops is rarely of consequence, although small 

 grainfields in the woods or on newly cleared land sometimes show 

 ragged borders where they have harvested the grain for their winter 

 stores. Their consumption of grass seeds and clover seeds may have 

 a slight effect on the grazing capacity of the range, but apparently 

 their eager search for the rich oily seeds of pines and other conifers 

 leaves little chance for these valuable trees to reproduce and reforest 

 the land. In places, where artificial reforestation is undertaken, it 

 has been found necessary to destroy the chipmunks and other rodents. 

 This is not difficult as they readily take poisoned grain, and success- 

 ful methods of control at slight expense have been perfected by the 

 Biological Survey. 



Where rapid reforestation is not necessary and no serious damage 

 is being done by the chipmunks, there is some practical value at- 

 tached to them as insect destroyers and an esthetic value in adding 

 a delightful feature of life and interest to the forests and mountains. 

 In many camps and ranger stations, tin-lined cupboards and storage 

 boxes are provided to protect supplies, so the chipmunks can be left 

 to run at will about the buildings and afford much interest and com- 



