Meet the Chipmunks

Since I started taking pictures of our resident chipmunks a few weeks ago, I've gotten many comments asking things like how I tell them apart, are they tame, and most frequently, how do I get the shots I do of them. (The other question I get is how do I tell if they are male or female. Trust me, it's obvious.) Without further ado, meet the chipmunks:

Alvin. She was our first, and is the most curious. Alvin lived in our wheelbarrow of kindling for a time, and has a rather slim tail, the least bushy tail of all our chipmunks.

Simon was our second. He has a ratty looking tail, and never sits still to eat, preferring to "grab and run" instead. It's fun to give Simon big, heavy things like whole apple cores or slices of bread and watch him try to make off with them. He frequently does.

Theodore is our third, and most vocal, often calling to the others while perched on the hotel. She has the bushiest tail of all of them. She is also the chubbiest.

Chiplet is number four, and for a short time was the tiniest. She hops instead of runs, is more timid than any of the others (except Hoppy) and likes to itch herself. A lot.

Dale is the fifth, and has a tail that starts out bushy, then kinks and narrows out. Dale likes our front porch as well as our back where the hotel is located, and will frequently come right up to us. I have to be careful I don't step on Dale because he likes to check my feet out when I go in the front door.

Dave is our sixth, and the second smallest. She's a scrapper, and has the notch in her ear to prove it. That's her and Chiplet flying through the air as they chase each other around the hotel.

Hoppy makes seven, and is the tiniest by far. He can hardly reach the water dish, and is never in one place long enough to photograph. I'm hoping he settles down a bit before he grows much bigger so I can have some pictures of him to post; he is so adorable.

Are they tame? Depends on what you call tame. Alvin and Dale get the closest to us, and would probably be easiest to hand feed, but I don"t like to encourage that behavior. They are wild animals, after all. Simon and Theodore will hide behind a post or in the grass and watch us when we come close; Chiplet, Dave, and Hoppy are quite skittish.

Photographing them is a challenge. It requires a long (200-300mm) lens, because only two of them are tame enough to get close to and they usually don't stay still for long. A lot of the time, I will lay in wait on my stomach 6-8 feet away from the Chipmunk Hotel and wait for them to come around. They are pretty active all day, from shortly after dawn until about 2-3 hours before the sun sets. I've also been able to make myself comfy in a chair nearby and wait for the action to begin. Whether I sit on the chair or lay on the ground depends a lot on the current lighting situation, and where they are playing. Patience is an important virtue when photographing these little critters. They come and go before you have a chance to turn on your camera, and move so fast that even the auto focus can have a hard time keeping up.

Cupcake says that she has counted at least 12 different chippies running around the back yard, and I'm out of ideas for names, so feel free to make suggestions in the comments, and if I post any new chipmunk pictures that use any of the names that you come up with, I'll make sure to give a shout out and link back to the contributor!