Chipmunk: Wise Use of Resources

The Chipmunk, a small striped-rodent, is a member of the Squirrel Family. Scientists usually divide the twenty five species of chipmunks into three groups – the Western Chipmunks (the largest group): Nectamias, the Eastern Chipmunk: Tamias, and the Siberian Chipmunk: Eutamias. The root “tamis” is Greek for steward, which reflects this species’ role in plant dispersal.

Chipmunk is named for her call – “chip-chip,” which sounds like a shrill bird-like chirp. Besides the chip-chip, She also employs a deep chuck, a trill, and a high-pitched startle call. Upon hearing her faint high chip, a dog’s ears will perk up. By the time the dog reacts, Chipmunk will be safe underground.

Living in North America and Siberia, Chipmunk is famous for her propensity to store seeds. People often see Her scurrying about with bulging cheeks full of seeds. Her cheeks can expand to equal her size. They allow Chipmunk to carry her food back to her burrow to eat. During the year, She collects and stores seeds in her vast complex of tunnels, doing most of her activity in the fall.

Besides seeds, Chipmunk will eat frogs and birds. Since She is an omnivore, She adds fungi and vegetables to her diet. Her eating habits help to spread various fungus and tree species. With the fungi, Chipmunk disperses the spores in several ways from storing the fungus to breaking it apart. By harvesting and hoarding seeds, She spreads many species of trees throughout the forest.

The underground burrow of Chipmunk has three areas for food, sleeping, and waste. Preferring sloping ground for drainage, She digs tunnels below the surface to her various chambers and for escape routes. Chipmunk can burrow through stone walls and concrete foundations, which makes Her a pest to some people. Except during mating season, Chipmunk lives by Herself in her home.

Chipmunk teaches people how to husband their resources. She stashes seeds to keep her well-supplied in food. During the winter, Chipmunk will “half-hibernate,” waking from time to time to eat. Some of the seeds, She eats right away, the others Chipmunk will save for the future. She also helps to disperse tree species, which in turn provides future sources of food. People can learn from Chipmunk how to save and when to use their various resources. 

CAPE GROUND SQUIRREL: Doing What Works

© Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons

Living in the semiarid places of southern Africa, Cape Ground Squirrel (Xerus inauris) shades Herself with her tail from the hot sun. Active during the day, She likes to eat in the morning. Afternoons are for socializing and grooming. During other times of the day, Cape Ground Squirrel will sunbathe if the weather turns chilly.

Cape Ground Squirrel will share her burrow with Meerkats and Yellow Mongooses. In gratitude, Meerkats will call alarms to warn Her. The two mammal species will live in a mutual relationship.

Cape Ground Squirrel lives with other Female Squirrels in large underground burrows. She usually feeds on seeds, leaves, and roots. However, Cape Ground Squirrel is not above acting cute and begging from people. Her favorite haunts are the rest camps of the governmental parks in South Africa.

Cape Ground Squirrel has a unique social system for Mammals. She lives with her female Friends separate from Male Cape Ground Squirrels. In her social group, They raise their Children together. Unlike other mammal groups, the Females have no “Alpha” or Head Squirrel.

Meanwhile, Male Cape Ground Squirrels live in friendly social groups by Themselves. The Males are not territorial, and will welcome other groups. (This is unusual amongst Mammals.) The only time that the Males are with the Females is when They want to mate. Even then, when Male Cape Ground Squirrels compete for mates, They rarely injure each other. Instead, the Males hold leaping displays for the Females.

Cape Ground Squirrel teaches doing what works. She may live differently than other Squirrels but that is all right with Her. Learn from Cape Ground Squirrel to find out what works for you. Living in same sex groups and being welcoming helps Her to survive in her harsh environment.

Cape Ground Squirrel’s Wisdom Includes:
Trusting
Friendship
Living in Single Sex Groups
Hospitality

EURASIAN RED SQUIRREL Living With Both Ordinariness and Wonder

Smaller and shier than Grey Squirrel, Eurasian Red Squirrel prefers living alone in the pine forests of Europe. After searching meticulously for food, He takes his pine cone to a secure branch for safety. Holding the cone in his front paws, Eurasian Red Squirrel rotates it while biting off the scales to get at the pine seeds.

People have admired Eurasian Red Squirrel for centuries. According to the Norse of Scandinavia, Ratatosk lived in the Tree of Life. He carried messages to Eagle, perched at the top, and to Snake, coiled around the roots. For his efforts, Ratatosk enjoyed the special protection of Thor, the God of Thunder.

Medieval Christians tell the story of Eurasian Red Squirrel in the Garden of Eden. He had a long thin tail like Rat’s. One day, while sitting in a nearby tree, He witnessed Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit. Eurasian Red Squirrel was so horrified by the sight, that He covered his eyes. As a reward for his faithfulness, God gave Eurasian Red Squirrel a thick bushy tail.

Humble little Eurasian Red Squirrel lives in the trees, watching the people below. From his vantage point, Eurasian Red Squirrel can touch the Heavens. He is the intermediary between two worlds – the world of the ordinary and the world of wonder. You can relish the ordinary life and have time to pause for wonder.

Eurasian Red Squirrel’s Teachings Include:
“Squirrel can represent easy and free communication.” Copyright: “Beasts of Albion”, Miranda Gray.

“Red Squirrel Dreaming is a grounding force that relieves stress and anxiety caused by an unsubstantiated fear.” Copyright: “Animal Messengers”, Scott Alexander King.

Eurasian Red Squirrel’s Wisdom Includes:

Making Mischief

Pivot of Worlds

Learning Wisdom

Feeling of Recognition and Belonging

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Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is only distantly related to the Red Squirrel of North America (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Conservation Note: Eurasian Red Squirrel is protected in the United Kingdom. The Forestry Commission (U.K.) has erected rope bridges to help Eurasian Red Squirrel to cross busy roads.

GRAY!GREY SQUIRREL: Living in the Past, Present, and Future

Agile and alert, Grey Squirrel remains active throughout the year. Chattering on tree branches, Grey Squirrel amuses people who watch her antics. What people do not know is that Grey Squirrel was a creature of the virgin forests of North America. She is one of the few Mammals who adapted to cities.

Grey Squirrel needs to eat every day even in the winter. Active at dawn, She searches for fruits and nuts or whatever is in season. In spring, She eats plant shoots. In winter, Grey Squirrel eats tree bark and nuts that She stored in the fall. She locates her stored nuts by smell. Any acorns that Grey Squirrel does not find will grow into trees for future squirrel homes.

Grey Squirrel is very expressive. She chatters and flicks her bushy tail to indicate her many moods. Relaxed, She lays on a thick tree branch with her tail hanging down. When Grey Squirrel is angry, her body becomes ramrod straight, and her tail flaps wildly. Her high voiced “Chee! Chee!” means “I AM annoyed with you!”

Grey Squirrel lives in the past, present, and future. In the summer, She also gathers nuts and acorns for the future. In the winter, Grey Squirrel looks for the nuts that She stored in the past. In the present, whatever season it is, She gathers nuts and acorns to eat today. Grey Squirrel lives in a tree sprouted from a nut that She buried and forgot about. Like Grey Squirrel, you can live in the past, present, and future.

Grey Squirrel’s Teachings Include:
“As far as our noblest hardwood forests are concerned, the animals, especially squirrels and jays, are our greatest and almost only benefactors. It is to them that we owe this gift. It is not in vain that the squirrels live in or about every forest tree, or hollow lot, and every wall and heap of stones.” -- Henry David Thoreau, American Essayist.

Conservation Note: People brought Grey Squirrel to the United Kingdom and South Africa, where She does not belong. Consult the local animal authorities on how to control the Grey Squirrel population.

SQUIRREL FAMILY Cooperation

When people think “Squirrel”, they generally think of the tree-dwelling variety. Squirrels, however, come in three main groups–Tree Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, and Flying Squirrels. The defining characteristic of a Squirrel, a Squirrel is their bushy tail. Their family name Sciuridae means “shade-tailed”.

Tree Squirrels have the bushiest tails. Tree Squirrels use their tails for balancing and steering when They jump from branch to branch. Active during the day, Tree Squirrels chase each other through the trees, look for nuts, and work on their nests (dreys). They bury nuts and seeds in the ground for future use. Any nuts one Tree Squirrel does not eat, another Tree Squirrel will eat.

Ground Squirrels include Chipmunks, Prairie Dogs and Marmots. Ground Squirrels rarely climb trees. Instead, They often live in colonies in a complex system of burrows. A Prairie Dog town contains thousand of residents living in sleeping quarters, with their own nurseries and latrines. Extremely adaptable, Ground Squirrels will live near people.

The third kind of Squirrel is Flying Squirrel, who glides through the air using a flap of skin between his front and rear limbs. Pushing off from a tree branch, He stretches out his arms and legs and glides to another branch. Unlike other Squirrels, Flying Squirrels is active at night.

Squirrel Family teaches cooperation. Some forms of Squirrel cooperation are obvious such as building a Prairie Dog town. Tree Squirrels warn other Squirrels of approaching enemies. A more subtler form is Tree Squirrels burying nuts not only for Themselves but also for other Squirrels. Squirrels cooperate with each other in a variety of ways. Learn how to cooperate with others from Squirrel Family.

Invocation to the Squirrel Muses

Invocation to the Squirrel Muses

Lay out several nuts (acorns or hickory or walnuts, etc.) in your writing space.  Then speak out-loud:

Welcome Fellow Squirrels into my space!

Let’s play, My Squirrel Friends!

Planting ideas, chasing words, jumping from topic to topic, inventing new wonders of

writing!

Flicking our tails in constant motion, we “chee” at the world, while we

Build nests out of words,

Create snug homes for

Ideas, phrases, sentences,

High in the trees of thought.

Let’s play, My Squirrel Friends!

Who wants some nuts?

Chase you up the tree of words!

Squirrels: My Writing Muse

Whenever I am blocked in my writing, I watch squirrels.  I see them bouncing from tree to tree or chasing each other. At other times, one squirrel will dig up a nut that another had just buried.  Once I witnessed a lone squirrel sneaking up on a curbside vendor to steal a nut-bar from her truck. Before the hapless vendor could react, this crafty squirrel leapt off the countertop and scampered off with its prize.

            Squirrels inspire me with their activity. Rarely staying still in one place, they leap from one tree branch, grab another limb, and then jump to the ground. This reminds me of my free writing, when I jump from topic to topic. Working with my squirrel muses, I seldom know where they will take me in my writing or where I will finally end up.

            Another thing that squirrels do is to bury nuts and forget them. Some of these nuts grow into oak trees, while other nuts are dug up for food by different squirrels. In several forms, these buried nuts provide food for the squirrels.  Like the squirrels, I stash writing topics in a notebook. Sometimes, I add scraps of information to flesh out the topics. At other times, I mull over one topic until it emerges as a full grown essay. Like burying nuts, my habit of stashing topics and bits of information provide me with food for thought.

            The inventiveness of squirrels is legendary. They foil the most determined attempts by ardent bird watchers to keep the squirrels from raiding birdfeeders. When I am stuck in my writing, I ask myself, “What if I was a squirrel…” I usually find an off-the-wall answer to my writing issue. In these ways, squirrels guide me in my writing.

MOUNTAIN “BEAVER” (SEWELLEL): Luck

Immature Mountain "Beaver", USGS

 Unlike many other prehistoric Animals, Mountain “Beaver” (Aplodontia rufa) is still with us.  She is neither a Beaver nor an inhabitant of the mountains; instead Mountain “Beaver” is the most primitive Rodent alive today.  In the Eocene epoch (about 44 million years ago), Her Family had split off from the Squirrel Family.  Since then, She lived in regions of North America that were moist with cool winters.

            Now found only the Pacific Northwest (where She has lived for nearly two million years), Mountain “Beaver” comes into conflict with people, since She eats their ornamental trees.  With her long claws, Mountain “Beaver” digs an extensive system of burrows for sleeping during the day.  Then at night, She ventures out to eat sword and bracken ferns, and to gnaw at the bark of trees for the green layer underneath.  Much of the time, people do not know that Mountain “Beaver” is there until She chews on their shrubs.

            What is remarkable about Mountain “Beaver” is that She has been on the earth for longer than forty million years.  (Most species only exist for one to ten million years.)  She has even survived the Eocene-Oligocene extinction event (Grande Coupure), which happened 33 million years ago. Nobody knows how or why Mountain “Beaver” survived for so long.  She has primitive kidneys and teeth, and does not do anything particularly well.  Therefore, many people believe that her continued survival is because of her good luck.

            The longevity of Mountain “Beaver” highlights the different kinds of luck.  Some luck is “dumb luck” that happens at random.  Other luck comes with the family or inherited by the individual.  The best sort of luck comes when we help others and they help us.  The kind of luck that Mountain “Beaver” has is the luck of persistence.  As long as She perseveres, Mountain “Beaver” will continue to be lucky.

            We can learn how luck occurs through Mountain “Beaver”.  Though She does bring bad luck to the unfortunate homeowner, many people do not even know that She lives on their property.  Usually, her burrowing helps to keep the soil healthy, so that homeowners can grow more beautiful plants.  Watch Mountain “Beaver” carefully, and She may show you her secret for being lucky.  Mountain “Beaver” creates her luck, and we can also by being proactive in our lives.

The Elements and Animals (4)

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS

Alligator (American): Water

Greatly feared because of her size and teeth, American Alligator is a shy animal. She prefers to live in her “gator hole” or mucking around the swamp. American Alligator is a keystone species. She creates “alligator holes”--mud hollows in swampy areas. This provides other animals with water, food, and homes. Moreover, American Alligator is the largest predator in her area, controlling overpopulation of deer and other animals. Even Her abandoned nest is used by other animals.

Salamander (Fire)

Tradition has it that Fire Salamander got her name from racing out of a log tossed onto a cooking fire. Since people saw her racing out of nowhere they assumed that the fire created her. “Salamander” comes from an Arab term for “lives in fire”.

Quite shy, Fire Salamander warns other animals and people away with bright yellow blotches on her black body. By secreting a white sticky substance called salamandrin from small pores on her body, she can kill a small animal or cause vomiting in a person. Instead of running away, Fire Salamander sprays her attacker. Her black and yellow colors warn others to leave her alone.

Newt (Great Crested): Water

The largest of the European newts, Great Crested Newt gets his name from his magnificent crown that he grows during breeding season. He wants to impress Female Great Crested Newts at their breeding pond. When a female shows interest, Great Crested Newt vibrates his tail and nuzzles her.

Because he is slow moving, Great Crested Newt will eat anything that he can catch. Usually, he eats animals slower than himself like slugs and snails. While underwater, he uses his sixth sense to detect vibrations in the water. To do this, Great Crested Newt uses a complex system of pressure-sensitive cells on his head and sides.

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Echidna: Earth

This small, barrel-shaped animal is one of two of the world’s only egg-laying (Monotreme) mammals. Resembling a pale brown porcupine, Echidna lives a solitary life in woodlands. With her powerful claws, Echidna turns over rocks in search of food.
Echidna is quite good at defending herself. When in danger, she curls herself into a ball, to be protected by her spines. Sometimes, Echidna will wedge herself beneath rocks. She can also swiftly dig vertically to get below the surface soil.

Mother Echidna lies on her back and lays one egg. She stretches so that her egg drops into the pouch on her abdomen. After a week and a half, Baby Echidna (Puggle) breaks out of the egg’s leathery shell. The tiny Puggle will suckle and live in his mother’s pouch for two months. Afterwards, he leaves his mother’s pouch for a burrow that she has dug for him. There, Mother Echidna visits daily to suckle her Puggle.

Grey Squirrel: Air

Agile and alert, Grey Squirrel remains active throughout the year. Chattering on tree branches, Grey Squirrel amuses people who watch her antics. What people do not know is that Grey Squirrel was a creature of the virgin forests of North America. She is one of the few mammals who adapted to cities.

Grey Squirrel needs to eat every day even in the winter. Active at dawn, she searches for fruits and nuts or whatever is in season. In spring, she eats plant shoots. In winter, Grey Squirrel eats tree bark and nuts that she stored in the fall. She locates her stored nuts by smell. Any acorns that Grey Squirrel does not find will grow into trees for future squirrel homes.

Manatee: Water

It is hard to believe that sailors once mistook Manatee and her cousin Dugong for mermaids. These sole remaining members of the Sirenia family are more like small blimps than beautiful women. Also called “Sea Cows”, Manatee and Dugong are the only sea mammals that eat solely vegetation. One of the most endangered of sea mammals, Manatee keeps vital waterways such as the Amazon River basin free of vegetation by consuming large amounts of food.

Manatee favors muddy bays, lagoons, and estuaries of the places around Caribbean Sea and Western Africa. Manatee prowls the bottom using her sensitive mouth to detect delicious grasses. With her front flippers, she grasps the vegetation and munches to her heart's content. When Manatee is done munching, she walks on her flippers to find more food at the bottom.

Works used

Andrews, Ted, “Animal-Speak”, Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1998.

Attenborough, David, “The Life of Birds”, Princeton University, Princeton, 1998.
“The Life of Mammals”, Princeton University, Princeton, 2002.
“Life in the Undergrowth”, Princeton University, Princeton, 2005.
“Life in Cold Blood”, Princeton University, Princeton, 2008.

Conway, D.J., “Animal Magick”, Llewellyn, St. Paul, 1999.

King, Scott Alexander, “Animal Messenger”, New Holland, Sydney, 2006.

Nozedar, Adele, “The Secret Language of Birds”, Harper Collins, London, 2006.

Palmer, Jessica Dawn, “Animal Wisdom”, Harper Collins, London, 2001.

Tucker, Suzetta. "ChristStory Bestiary." ChristStory Christian Bestiary. 1997. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/beast.htm ( 9 Jan. 2010).

Adventures in Feeding Birds (2)

Watching birds come and go at my feeder has been fascinating. More birds arrive in the mornings rather than in the afternoons. Alone and in pairs, chickadees, finches, jays, nuthatches, sparrows, titmice, and more feed daily. In the afternoon, a pair of squirrels (litter mates) come to the feeding table.

To attract the wrens and song sparrows, I set out dried grapes, millet, oatmeal, suet, and peanut butter. Although some wrens did visit to eat the fruit flies from the bananas, the song sparrows came more frequently. The suet also attracted Carolina chickadees, tufted titmice and nuthatches. I was surprised that they would leave their trees to come and eat at my table.

The most timid of birds, the titmice nervously check out my feeder. They hop on the balcony railing, then the chair, table, and finally the feeder. If one of us are moving about in the living room, they fly away. When another bird flies by, the titmice disappear. However, they do come back after scoping out the area.

In contrast, the English sparrows are cool customers. They do not care who else is there. Acting as if they own the place, these sparrows plunk themselves down wherever. As other birds come and go, they fluff themselves out and watch the parade.

A ladder-backed woodpecker comes to feed as well. Once she brought her fledgling and fed him on the railing. Wielding her beak as a dagger, this woodpecker battle the squirrels for food. Meanwhile, they twitch their tails and “chee” at her. Then the squirrels would move far away from the menacing woodpecker.

I enjoy the antics of the squirrels. Seemingly as if they flying in the air, the squirrels sail from tree to tree to the railing to the feeder. The one-eared squirrel will stare at me for more food. If I do not respond, she taps on the window at me to come and feed her.

Meanwhile, a young blue jay perches on the railing, squawking at me for more food. Daily he comes and he taps on the window when he cannot find the food he likes. I think it is funny that the young jay thinks he rules the feeder. Actually, the woodpecker with her stiletto beak is the true monarch.

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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008

The Animal Archetype Test

The people who design these silly tests really do not how to take a sample. But they are fun in a strange sort of way. of course, I got the Squirrel. But not just any squirrel - The Eurasian Red Squirrel. They are shier than the American Grey Ones.

The Animal Archetype Test
Your Score: The Squirrel
You scored 62% domestic, 24% gregarious, 17% trickster, and 35% intellect!

Domestic, Solitary, Serious, Emotional: you are the Squirrel! Squirrel people tend to be organized, thrifty, prepared for anything, slightly obsessive. Squirrel medicine teaches the benefit of good planning, looking towards the future, and conservation. The squirrel is a symbol of delayed gratification, resourcefulness, agility, and foresight.

This test categorized you based on four different axes of personality, which were then associated with a different animal. The four axes, as well as all possible results are explained below.

Wild/Domestic: This first axis categorizes you based on how much you are drawn to the outdoors, versus how much you are drawn to civilized situations. Domesticity has many shapes and forms, and varies from the joy of dolphins leaping next to a ship to the steadfast loyalty of a family dog.

Gregarious/Solitary: This axis measures how solitary you are. If you scored high, it means that you enjoy the company of other people, while a low score indicates that you prefer a more solitary lifestyle.

Trickster/Serious: This axis measures how well you line up with conventional trickster archetypes. People who fall into this archetype have a sense of humor and an excitable, highly chaotic streak. Scoring low doesn't mean that you don't have a sense of humor; it just means that you probably don't think dynamite is very funny.

Intellectual/Emotional: This last axis determines whether you are more emotional -- acting based on feelings and instinct, or rational and intelectual -- acting more on thought than on your gut feelings.

Wild Gregarious Trickster Intellectual : The Hyena
Wild Gregarious Trickster Emotional : The Otter
Wild Gregarious Serious Intellectual : The Antelope
Wild Gregarious Serious Emotional : The Wolf

Wild Solitary Trickster Intellectual : The Weasel
Wild Solitary Trickster Emotional : The Coyote
Wild Solitary Serious Intellectual : The Raven
Wild Solitary Serious Emotional : The Frog

Domestic Gregarious Trickster Intellectual : The Fox
Domestic Gregarious Trickster Emotional : The Dolphin
Domestic Gregarious Serious Intellectual : The Horse
Domestic Gregarious Serious Emotional : The Dog

Domestic Solitary Trickster Intellectual : The Rat
Domestic Solitary Trickster Emotional : The Ferret
Domestic Solitary Serious Intellectual : The Cat
Domestic Solitary Serious Emotional : The Squirrel


My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on domestic

You scored higher than 99% on gregarious

You scored higher than 99% on trickster

You scored higher than 99% on intellect

Take test at:
http://www.okcupid.com/tests/523475376769642040/Animal-Archetype