Within 200 feet of where I photographed Stubby last August, I was thrilled to run into him again this past week. The lives of chipmunks are short (couple of years usually) so it was great to see him again. Wait a minute. That’s not Stubby.
Stubby had a badly torn left ear and this chipmunk doesn’t. They both have the same shortened tail though. I’ve concluded the 2011 edition Stubby is an impostor!
I said last year Stubby’s tail was short due to an encounter with a raccoon or other predator, but maybe there’s a genetic trait in the lineage of the millpond chipmunks. It’s either that or a predator that botches his lunges. At any rate, this one is just as friendly and skilled as the original Stubby at accepting handouts. After the first peanut was rushed to his burrow (below), he quickly returned for more and would have continued the routine all evening if I had more peanuts to offer. You can almost see his disappointment in the upper right photo. Click it to see the larger version. It’s a nice, crisp shot.
