Chipmunks Ahoy!

Perhaps it was a fluke of nature today, but while I was cruising along various routes in Lenox and Stockbridge on a mission to scout products for my next edition of “The Right Stuff,” no fewer than five chipmunks darted across my path.

 

 

Thankfully, I avoided squashing any of the toothy daredevils, but it made me wonder: Is there some sort of freak proliferation of the rodents in our area? (Remember this guy's story?)

 

 

I didn’t find the answer on the otherwise comprehensive, tip-sheet laden MassWildlife website, so I dialed the office in Westborough, Mass.

 

 

“Their populations fluctuate quite a bit,” said wildlife biologist Laura Hajduk, noting an abundance of food appealing to members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) at this time of year. After all, she explained, “it did just get pretty cold, so they’re busy getting ready for winter.”

 

 

Of course. But it did seem pretty silly at the time...