Pouches

"What about little microphones? What if everyone swallowed them, and they played the sounds of our hearts through little speakers, which could be in the pouches of our overalls? When you skateboarded down the street at night you could hear everyone's heartbeat, and they could hear yours, sort of like sonar. One weird thing is, I wonder if everyone's hearts would start to beat at the same time, like how women who live together have their menstrual periods at the same time, which I know about, but don't really want to know about. That would be so weird, except that the place in the hospital where babies are born would sound like a crystal chandelier in a houseboat, because the babies wouldn't have had time to match up their heartbeats yet. And at the finish line at the end of the New York City Marathon it would sound like war."

Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
(I loved this book.)



Chipmunk pouch information...
Chipmunks have specially adapted internal cheek pouches that allow them to carry large amounts of food at one time. These pouches are used when caching food for winter consumption and are emptied by squeezing them with their front feet. On occasion, they eat food on the spot, often at a favorite stump or rock that becomes littered with broken nut shells and fruit seeds. Much time is spent in late summer and fall gathering and storing nuts and other seeds for the winter.

When not occupied with food-gathering or territorial defense, chipmunks sleep in their underground burrows. Burrow entrances are neat round holes, usually two inches or less in diameter. They are often located under a rotten log, stump or rock. From the entrance, the burrow plunges straight down for a few inches and then descends more gradually until it levels out at a depth of about three feet.

During burrow excavation, soil is carried away from the entrance in cheek pouches used to carry food. Because of this, there is little or no evidence of excavated material from the subterranean burrow system. Within four or five years, an average chipmunk's burrow may be extended to a length of 30 feet, have several openings, and may contain up to six chambers.

In late October or November, chipmunks retire to their dens, plugging up the entrance hole. Although they are not true hibernators, some may sleep for long periods of time during the cold winter months. They store food rather than fat, and must wake up often to eat. Mild weather during mid-winter may entice them out of their dens for short periods of time.

If a gold medal could be awarded to Best Forager, the chipmunk would be the clear winner. The tiny gatherer can stuff over 30 husked nuts in its cheek pouches at one time! Some burrows have been known to be filled with 6,000 nuts that have been collected during one season.

Chipmunks not only have a main food cache, but also "emergency" storage areas in case the other is robbed or damaged.

Factsheet prepared by the DNR Wildlife Diversity Program staff.



For the Record
This day came in damp and cool with rain showers. Could be the weather report of the day for the next few I think.

Looking at last year's thumbnail makes me happy to issue this update, year 4, the Carolina Wren couple are back to their winter porch residence. This year they are using a terra cotta hanging bird house suspended from the entry roof. They sing at dusk and dawn, entering and exiting their digs.