I think this falls under animal 'welfare' so I hope I'm posting in the right place. If not, please move elsewhere.

I have chipmunks living in the landscaping around my apartment and my (indoor) cats enjoy watching them run across my patio to gather the seeds that spill from my birdfeeder.

Anyway, I've started buying peanuts and tossing them on my patio. The chipmunks (and squirrels) love them and have made my patio their regular stomping grounds. And now, well, 'cause I'm as thrilled with the chipmunks as my cats are apparently, I've started holding the peanuts to try and get the chipmunks to eat from my hand. Last night---one did! I was so happy, and the little girl (I think it's a girl) and I spent quite a while visiting with each other. She came up to me several times and each time I'd hand her a peanut, she'd sit there and either eat it or stuff it into her cheeks and scamper back to her den. Then she'd be back for more.

Basically, my question is: is it okay for me to be 'training' these chipmunks to approach me for food? I want to be their friend (they're so beautiful and interesting) but I'm not certain whether this feeding is endangering them or not (will they approach other humans who might hurt them?).

What do you think?

I think it's a bad idea to try and feed any wild animals by hand. It's not a good idea to get them used to humans feeding them, the animals won't know if a person doesn't want wild animals near them. They might start hanging around the houses of your neighbors or some human that views them as pests and a nuicance and hurt the chipmunks.

These are wild animals, so even if they look sweet and friendly they could bite. I'm not sure if chipmunks could carry rabies but being bitten by an animal is serious thing and even if rabies isn't involved you could get some kind of infection, etc.

Wow, that's a tough one. I have to side with lillym but it would be really hard for me to have the self control to not feed them, especially if they are taking the peanuts from your hand! It just sounds too awesome! I had a squirrel that would come to my kitchen window and scratch at it until I threw her some nuts, but she doesn't come around anymore. I thought I saw her the other day but I'm not sure if was her because she seemed too skittish.

I think occassionally it couldn't hurt... but mostly you should just throw it out for them. It may still keep some of the wariness in place... not everyone could be as compassionate as you

That's such a hard one. If you lived in the country without a whole bunch of other people around I'd say go for it. But there is the possibility of you putting them at risk by habituating them to humans.
The other thing you have to think about is that they may come to rely on you for food so if you're going to start feeding them regularly then bear in mind that you'll probably have to continue, you can't just cut off their food source if for example you moved.

...if you're going to start feeding them regularly then bear in mind that you'll probably have to continue, you can't just cut off their food source if for example you moved.

That was one of my thoughts, yes. I've signed a new lease for another year (through August of 2007) so this summer and most of next summer would be covered, but if I were to move, would dropping by and tossing some peanuts/birdseed on the area that fall be enough, or would they still 'remember' the food when they woke in March/April of 2008 and be disadvantaged if the new people didn't feed them?

Well, I guess I should be cautious. I won't try to take it to the level of getting them to climb my chair or sit in my hand ('cause I bet I could). An occasional feeding by hand will probably still occur. It's hard to resist that close contact since it's apparently possible---I feel like they're my friends (even though they heckle my cats through the screen door!).

They might start hanging around the houses of your neighbors or some human that views them as pests and a nuicance and hurt the chipmunks...

This IS my biggest worry. Thanks, lillym. Some people really do hate chipmunks (they burrow around foundations) and I especially wouldn't want someone complaining to the landlord about the chipmunks and the landlord "taking action" against them, all because I like them. That would be terrible. Maybe I should even start tossing the peanuts a little farther into the grass. It's probably too late for that this year, but next spring, I'll do this a bit differently.

Thanks all. I appreciate it! :)

I agree that it's a bad idea in general. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipmunk

read the last paragraph

read the last paragraph

about alvin and the chipmunks? if anything, dave was the creepy one to watch out for.

about alvin and the chipmunks? if anything, dave was the creepy one to watch out for.

Not THAT paragraph, silly! :stinkeye:

"If unmolested they often become bold enough to accept food from the hands of humans. The temptation to pick up or pet any wild animal should be strictly avoided. While rabies is exceptionally rare, if non-existent, in rodents, chipmunk bites can transmit virulent and dangerous bacterial infections." this is the paragraph amy was referring to

Chipmunks are one of the biggest carriers of the bubonic plague in the US.