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Franklin's Spermophile
Also called: Ground Hackee, Ground Squirrel, Striped Squirrel.
Images coming soon.
Length.—14.80 inches.
Description.—Hair coarse and harsh, gray above suffused with yellowish brown and hairs banded with black; below paler gray with a white throat, tail clear gray.
Range.—Saskatchewan south to eastern Kansas and through northern and middle Illinois and southern Wisconsin to the western border of Indiana.
Length.—9.50 inches.
Description.—Head brown, back grizzly gray, rump and hind legs rufous chestnut; a narrow black stripe on the middle of the back from the ears to the rufous of the rump, and on each side two black stripes with a light buff stripe between them. Sides of the body buffy mixed with black-tipped hairs, below white. Tail grizzly gray above with black tips to the hairs, below rufous edged with black.
Range.—Southern New York to Georgia. Northward the closely related northern hackee (T. striatus lysteri) takes its place. It is much brighter and lighter in colour, bright rusty red instead of chestnut above. Numerous other species are found in the West.
Although there are numerous spermophiles in the West, this and the preceding are the only ones to range east of the Mississippi.
Peculiar interest attaches to this animal from the fact that it was introduced into the sandy barrens of southern New Jersey where it seemed to flourish for a time, though it did not spread to any extent.
Chipmunk
Tamias striatus (Linnaeus)
Ground squirrels are unquestionably most intelligent creatures, loving the sunlight and hot weather and open groves of hardwoods where the turf is cropped close by cattle.
Here they dig their burrows in such a manner as to avoid attracting the attention of their enemies and at the same time allowing them an unobstructed outlook on all sides from their doorways.
Choosing an open and lawn-like spot they sink a perpendicular tunnel down several feet ; after which the burrow is carried along horizontally for a few yards and then ascends a trifle to the chamber, which is perhaps a foot in height and breadth and nearly twice as long and carpeted with soft grass.
A back stairway ascends to the surface by a somewhat shorter route at a considerable distance from the other opening.
Now the amount of earth removed must necessarily be considerable, yet the grass about the entrance shows no signs of it, and it requires a sharp eye to detect the position of the burrow unless its owner betrays the secret himself. I believe that in some instances, perhaps quite frequently, the hole is begun beneath a hollow stump or tree, under the shelter of a thick low growing bush, or between the rocks of a wall where the pile of fresh dirt may escape notice ; and after other passages are made from the chamber to the surface the original opening is perhaps blocked with earth from the inside and abandoned. Piles of newly dug earth are always to be found in the vicinity of the chipmunk's home, but almost invariably at a distance from any burrow, often so far away in fact that is difficult to conceive how they could have been constructed, even in the manner just described.
I am inclined to think that it is a common practice among chipmunk's to carry all the dirt removed in their cheek-pouches to a safe distance where it may be left in a heap or scattered about over the grass; it may be that the earth hidden beneath stumps and similar places is brought there in this manner oftener than is suspected.
In going to and from his burrow the chipmunk takes careful leaps over the grass and appears strictly to avoid making any path which might serve as a guide to his enemies.
Among themselves chipmunks are most talkative little people, often a company of half a dozen or more may be heard keeping up a most animated conversation on quiet summer afternoons; each seated on his own particular rock or stump separated by intervals of a few rods they exchange chirrup for chirrup with varying inflections for hours together. At times they get up a regular chorus or chant with a kind of rhythmical movement running through it that is very pleasing. This chirrup or chirping note is also used as a cry of warning by simply changing the expression a trifle.
If a chipmunk is interrupted in his labours or his sunbath, or whatever he may happen to be doing, by the approach of a fox or other enemy, he not only looks out for his own safety but remembers the rest of his family as well.
If possible he gets within easy reach of his hole and from that position of safety he sends forth a steady series of alarm notes as long as the enemy is in sight.