One pile consisted of mostly vertebrae the other pile had numerous tibias, humeri and ribs. Lying at the base of a large Eastern Hemlock I recently found two piles of bleached bones. (Thanks to Emma for photo op.)įorest Floor Mystery: Pellets? Old Scat? Cache? If you see the tips of branches nipped off with acorn caps (but no acorns) still attached lying under an oak tree, it’s likely that a Porcupine has been dining in the tree and discarding branches after scooping out and eating the acorns.If the tree is large, the Porcupine may reside in the canopy for several days. Porcupines are typically one of the first acorn consumers, as they are able to climb oaks and eat the acorns before they drop and are accessible to many of the other animals that are limited to foraging on the ground. These acorns provide sustenance for many animals – Black Bears, Red and Gray Squirrels, Eastern Chipmunks and other small rodents, White-tailed Deer and Wild Turkeys, to name a few. While American Beech trees in central Vermont have not produced a bumper crop of beechnuts this year, Red Oaks are experiencing a very heavy mast crop. At the end of August, when the apple supply has dwindled, Porcupines move on to important new food sources – acorns and beechnuts. If you live near a stand of Red Oak trees, your chances of seeing a Porcupine this fall are greater than average. In a month or so, the results of these efforts will be born. This involves 10-30 couplings within about a 6-7 hour receptive period. Most adult females are in breeding condition when they emerge (as opposed to males, which are in a state of constant readiness) and mate within a week. One would think they must be in a state of confusion, given the erratic weather we’ve experienced this spring.Ĭhipmunks waste no time once they are active. Within the last week chipmunks have been seen above ground. As spring approaches, the timing of their emergence above ground is affected by the weather, even though their tunnels are 18” – 36” below the surface. If you choose to contribute, you may go to and click on the yellow “donate” button.Īll winter long, Eastern Chipmunks have been intermittently napping and running to their underground larder to snack every week or two. Naturally Curious is supported by donations. The contents that researchers have found in one chipmunk’s two pouches include the following (each entry represents the contents of one chipmunk’s pouches): 31 kernels of corn, 13 prune pits, 70 sunflower seeds, 32 beechnuts, 6 acorns. In order to minimize the number of trips taken to fill their storage chamber, chipmunks cram their cheek pouches as full as possible. They will visit this chamber every two or three weeks throughout the winter, grabbing a bite to eat between their long naps. Up to half a bushel of nuts and seeds can be stored here. Unless global warming extends the normal activity of Eastern Chipmunks, most have or will shortly disappear into their tunnels where they have gathered and stored their winter food supply underground in a special chamber, or larder. Eastern Chipmunks Soon To Retire Underground
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