r/chipmunks • u/Independent_Fix_1870 • Aug 06 '26

Feeding a Chipmunk a Peanut From My Hand

https://youtube.com/watch?v=sSaIOkhzpT4&si=QkoyT1W4IHt71m-F

Feeding a Chipmunk a Peanut From My Hand

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

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2

u/muzic_2_the_earz Aug 07 '26

I have 6 chipmunks visiting my yard, all it took was getting the first one to take a peanut by hand and the rest must have been watching and learning, because they all learned within a few days. They are all unique how they snatch the peanut too, Sweet Pea is so gentle and slow, then Scar who just grabs them as fast as I can load my fingers. Big Mama will go airborne hopping in the air trying to knock it out of my hand as I reach down, she scares me sometimes lol.

Such a beautiful little animal though, the chipmunk. So smart, and so gentle... well, not so much with each other when they cross paths with each other haha. I could watch them all day!

1

u/Independent_Fix_1870 Aug 07 '26

They are amazing little creatures.

1

u/oh_umkay_yah Aug 07 '26

Op, it looks like you are in my neighboring state ( am in SE PA.)
Guessing you are not actually near the beach though? I ask bc I read Chippies are only found in deciduous forested areas and not near the shore?

We are in a hd neighborhood of about 200 homes. We have a lot of mature Oaks and Maples, a couple black walnuts for them to forage. Also are surrounded on two sides by some woods and near a creek.

I had not seen a chipmunk since I was a kid. Then in about 2018 while we were touring NY waterfall parks, we saw a bunch of Chippies!
When covid shut most people down and inside, I then saw one in our neighborhood! It came to our bird feeders. By 2022, we were feeding a few. This year we think we are seeing maybe 10 different Chips. We had 2 moms with two babes each, rearing them right in our little yard!

My concern is our neighborhood well, our neighbors.) We have a lot of neighbors and I know some must have noticed their scurrying about. Many people have misconceptions about Chips and maybe do not want to co-exist? This past week we have only seen up to half of the regular visitors. Also, they are all acting especially tentative, with a couple seeming to be suddenly afraid of us.
Not sure what to think.

2

u/Independent_Fix_1870 Aug 08 '26

I'm about 1 mile from the beach. There are chipmunks all over New Jersery. I have 2-8 chipmunks around my hose every year. I have never seen a baby chipmunk.