Chipmunks woke up at Krasnoyarsk Pillars (video)

In the Krasnoyarsk Pillars National Park, Siberian chipmunks have awakened after winter hibernation.

According to the press service of the national park, the animal was spotted at the Eastern entrance. A chipmunk ran along the eco-trail along the Mokhovaya stream not far from the bird feeders.

The Asian (Siberian) chipmunk, a mammal of the squirrel family of the order of rodents, lives on the Krasnoyarsk Pillars.

“These nimble striped animals hibernate from late October to early April. In years of abundant harvest of cedar seeds, they can be found until the first ten days of November. However, from time to time the animals wake up to feed on their supplies, previously prepared in the underground “pantry”. By the end of the period of active snowmelt, the animals finally awaken and get out of their holes. They feast on the first greens, which are still scarce, because they need to replenish the supply of vitamins in the body. In addition to fresh green shoots, at this time of year, chipmunks feed on the buds of woody plants, seeds, and insects,” noted national park methodologist Nadezhda Goncharova.

According to experts, chipmunks live for about 5 years. This species is characterized by sharp fluctuations in numbers in nature. In the national park, at different times, the chipmunk population varied from 200 to 3,500 individuals. According to the Chronicle of Nature, in recent years, based on visual observations, the number of this animal was at a low level.

According to an old superstition, if chipmunks woke up on the Krasnoyarsk Pillars, this means that spring has come and bears have come out of their dens. However, the sign has no scientific basis. According to the national park’s security department, state inspectors have not yet found any traces of the clubfooted predator during daily patrols around the territory of Stolby.

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