Fall chipmunk release

[Squirrelgrl]

Hi. I have a chipmunk that will be ready for release soon, but it is too late in the season for him to prepare for our long, cold winters. I could overwinter him, but that is a lot of months spent not digging tunnels and doing the natural chipmunk things.
I was thinking of perhaps putting him in a hutch without a floor,(in his small cage, with door open), with food and water daily. I thought, perhaps, this would give him the opportunity to start digging tunnels and exploring the world with a safe place to return and get nourishment.
Educated opinions, anyone?

Thank you!

[Diggie's Friend]

This is what chippy's have in the wild, a quite complicated burrow that is made to support their survival and escape from predators. More than one exit is needed. Be sure if you provide an open end that it has a soft soil plug and that there is more than one way out.

https://msodanoillustration.com/2015/03/19/a-peek-inside-a-chipmunk-burrow/ (see diagram)

You likely are very likely going to have to restock him with acorns and hazelnuts before spring.

Prior to the release, offering dried mealworms will afford the chippy a good source of fat, but also calcium and vitamins if you get them from Camillies Vita-mealies. They also carry plain, so make sure you order the ones that are fortified to support the chippy. I would give him some for the road in a dish when you put him in the release hutch, just not too many. (See construction for burrow above.).

Place the chippy in the burrow at the time the other chips have already gone into their burrows, so that his cache isn't raided.

When providing a larder of acorns some nuts may be compromised, which might prompt him to eat some bad ones if limited. Check each nut be it acorns taken off the tree, or hazelnuts purchased at a store (organic) for weevil holes; even the really tiny mother weevil holes would be a good precaution.

Don't include peanuts, as they degrade with moisture very quickly, and have a high incidence of aspergillus fungus contamination that can be lethal.
No corn, or opened nuts should be included in the cache either.

Their Superworms are the best option size for mealworms. [url]https://vita-mealie.weebly.com/

[Squirrelgrl]

Thank you for responding. I not sure I know how to apply you answer though. I realize that their burrows are vast and complex and that they need sufficient time to construct and collect a cache of food. This is why I am unsure if putting him out in a secure cage with a dirt floor to start tunnels from would be beneficial given the short amount of time until winter sets in,(last year we got snow and ice in October and it stayed cold until May), or if he is better off wintering inside and starting in the spring. I want him to have the most natural environment as soon as possible. Easy to do with squirrels, but they need trees not dirt.

[tomcics]

A fall release will be risky, as it is hard to control or know many variables, for example when the other chips are already in their burrows for the winter (mine here are very unpredictable, have seen them out in the snow in some winters).

When I took in an injured chip (Ivanski), I had same dilemma, is there enough time for her to collect food before winter and she was not friendly, so there was nothing for me to do to help her outside (plus I am in apartment complex, so I had to be extra secretive). 14 months later, she is still inside with me because I ended up with a second chip (Orbie) that is non-releasable, their in separate but close to cages (because other is male) but they have bonded.

I do not know the right thing to do in your situation but I would probably keep him inside over winter but I am overprotective.

[TubeDriver]

The problem with the floorless hutch is that he might get driven away by a more aggressive rival which would leave him out there without resources, experience and home.

The safest bet would be to overwinter him and aim for a spring release.

One other possible option would be to place him in an outdoor release cage but don't release him. You would have to provide food and water for him. You could fill the bottom of the cage with dirt and rocks and perhaps he would make a home in it? This is not normally what is done so there might be issues? But you could provide food and chips are not very active in the winter so he might not mind much being in the cage? I would like to see hear what other folks think about this as an alternative to inside overwintering?

[Scooterzmom]

I definitely would advocate overwintering him.
This little guy did not have a mom to teach him how to set up a proper habitat, oor where he can find food, or how best to fend off others. He is already starting off with some odds against him. Being out in the cold is the last thing he would need. A spring release would allow him to get out when there is plenty of food around, when the ground is not likely to freeze... all in all, better odds for his survival.