Good Winter Leads to Large Numbers of Chipmunks in US
2020-08-02
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1Plenty of acorns -- the fruit of the oak tree -- has led to rising numbers of chipmunks in the Northeast United States.
2A large supply of acorns on the ground last winter provided food for chipmunks across New England as spring returned.
3Acorns and other nuts are a main part of the animal's diet.
4They also eat insects, berries, and other kinds of fruit.
5The plentiful food supply kept the chipmunks well fed as they got busy reproducing and having families this spring.
6Now, the growth in the chipmunk population is causing problems in some areas, with people saying the animals are driving them nuts.
7Shevenell Webb is a biologist with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the state of Maine.
8She told The Associated Press (AP) that while chipmunks are often entertaining, they can be destructive.
9The animals burrow through the ground, making holes and passageways.
10This can lead to the destruction of grass, flowers and other plant life, Webb said.
11She added that chipmunks can be "cute" and "fun to watch in the forest" as they move in and out of holes like playful children.
12When their mouths are not full of nuts, chipmunks make an interesting "chip" sound, Webb said.
13Steven Parren is a wildlife program official with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife.
14He told the AP he cannot grow flowers on his own property without chipmunks digging them up.
15"They don't even pause," he noted.
16There were so many acorns in one area, Parren said, that there was no way the animals could have put them all away for winter.
17In addition to chipmunks, he says he is also seeing more squirrels, rabbits and different kinds of mice this year.
18Experts say people should not be too concerned about the summer's larger population of chipmunks.
19They note while small animal populations can sometimes explode - growing quickly, they usually return to normal.
20Chipmunks can be food for other creatures.
21They are easy targets for owls, hawks, snakes, foxes, and raccoons.
22But even if they survive such attacks, Webb said individual chipmunks usually only live about three years.
23Many New Englanders remember a similar rise in the area's squirrel population in 2018.
24Webb said that increase led to a memorable number of road kills.
25"We've never seen anything like that. That was a once in a lifetime event."
26I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Plenty of acorns -- the fruit of the oak tree -- has led to rising numbers of chipmunks in the Northeast United States. 2A large supply of acorns on the ground last winter provided food for chipmunks across New England as spring returned. Acorns and other nuts are a main part of the animal's diet. They also eat insects, berries, and other kinds of fruit. 3The plentiful food supply kept the chipmunks well fed as they got busy reproducing and having families this spring. Now, the growth in the chipmunk population is causing problems in some areas, with people saying the animals are driving them nuts. 4Shevenell Webb is a biologist with the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife in the state of Maine. She told The Associated Press (AP) that while chipmunks are often entertaining, they can be destructive. 5The animals burrow through the ground, making holes and passageways. This can lead to the destruction of grass, flowers and other plant life, Webb said. 6She added that chipmunks can be "cute" and "fun to watch in the forest" as they move in and out of holes like playful children. When their mouths are not full of nuts, chipmunks make an interesting "chip" sound, Webb said. 7Steven Parren is a wildlife program official with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife. He told the AP he cannot grow flowers on his own property without chipmunks digging them up. "They don't even pause," he noted. 8There were so many acorns in one area, Parren said, that there was no way the animals could have put them all away for winter. In addition to chipmunks, he says he is also seeing more squirrels, rabbits and different kinds of mice this year. 9Experts say people should not be too concerned about the summer's larger population of chipmunks. They note while small animal populations can sometimes explode - growing quickly, they usually return to normal. 10Chipmunks can be food for other creatures. They are easy targets for owls, hawks, snakes, foxes, and raccoons. But even if they survive such attacks, Webb said individual chipmunks usually only live about three years. 11Many New Englanders remember a similar rise in the area's squirrel population in 2018. 12Webb said that increase led to a memorable number of road kills. "We've never seen anything like that. That was a once in a lifetime event." 13I'm Bryan Lynn. 14The Associated Press reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 15We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. 16_______________________________________________________________ 17Words in This Story 18nuts - n. the dry fruit of some trees that grows in a shell 19drive someone nuts - idiom. to make someone upset or annoyed 20entertain - v. to perform for (an audience) : to provide amusement for (someone) by singing, acting, etc 21cute - adj. pleasant and attractive 22pause - v. stop doing something for a short time