Now the content of exotic animals at home has become very popular. One of these is the Asian chipmunk, which has become domesticated recently, but has already earned love and warmth from others. In addition to the fact that these amazing animals have a charming appearance, it is still very interesting to observe their behavior and activity. However, the chipmunks are tamed quite difficult, so if you decide to have such a pet, you should know all the subtleties of its contents, and believe me, there are many of them.
Habitat and features of existence
Chipmunks are rodents that belong to the squirrel family. They live mainly in North America, the only exceptions are Siberian or Asian, which inhabit China and Europe. Mostly they live in light forests, in earthen burrows or under trees, but when they feel danger, they can climb a tree. The chipmunk loves loneliness, therefore in captivity it is necessary to provide each animal with its own cage. An Asian chipmunk lives, the photo of which you can see in this article, in the wild for about 3 years, and in captivity for 5-6 years, but there have been cases when the animal lived up to 10 years with proper care and proper nutrition. In winter, they usually hibernate, but differ from other animals in that they can wake up, replenish supplies, and then fall back into sleep.
Description of the Asian chipmunk
This is a small animal that looks very similar to a small squirrel. It has a rather attractive fur coat and a long fluffy tail. The coat is usually reddish or gray, with five characteristic black stripes. The body length of the Asian chipmunk is 13-19 cm, the tail length is 8-12 cm with a body weight of approximately 70-110 g. The tail is covered with long and thick hair. The animal has a harsh coat. A characteristic feature of the Asian chipmunk are very cute cheek pouches.
Representatives of this species lead mainly daily life. These are very elegant, energetic, curious and gullible rodents that even in the wild show interest in people. Chipmunk is a very neat and tidy animal, which, although it brings some trouble, however, gives a lot of joy. Also, do not forget that the chipmunk is very curious at home, so it is not recommended to let the rodent out of the cage without supervision.
Chipmunk Content
These exotic pets are unpretentious in the care and maintenance. They differ from other domestic rodents in that there is practically no unpleasant odor from them, as, for example, from tame rats or hamsters. This, of course, greatly facilitates the care of them. They get used to captivity pretty quickly and painlessly. If you still decide to make yourself such a pet, then you should create all the necessary conditions for him to make him feel comfortable and safe.
First you need to purchase a suitable cell. Chipmunks (home) love to run, so they need a cage of significant size - approximately 100 × 50 × 60 cm. It should be metal and have many sections. It is also recommended to put a running wheel and a house where the chipmunk will sleep. Be sure to put branches and driftwood in the cage. The litter is recommended to be made from sawdust, but can also be made from hay or peat. Periodically, the house needs to be cleaned from stocks, just do not throw everything all at once, as the chipmunk can be very upset.
Subtleties of the content of the animal
It is not recommended to immediately release the chipmunk from the cage, first the animal should get used to it, and after a couple of weeks you can already accustom it to walk around the apartment. However, as mentioned a little above, only under careful supervision. Since the animal is active only during the day, at night it will not bother you. Chipmunks at home do not hibernate, they just become sluggish and less active in the winter. At this time, the pet should in no case be disturbed or scared, as as a result it can become aggressive. We have already mentioned that the Asian chipmunk quickly gets used to a person, he begins to take food from his hands over time, so if you want to quickly tame your pet, use food for this.
Chipmunk Diet
This rodent is unpretentious to food. Chipmunk at home uses almost all known cereals. Of course, most of all they like nuts (you can’t give almonds!), Cereals, sunflower and apple seeds. You can also give him dairy products: cottage cheese and milk. You also need to remember that the Asian chipmunk is not completely vegetarian, he also needs to offer animal food, for example, insects or larvae, but you can replace them with a small amount of raw meat. He will eat fresh grass, fruits, berries and vegetables with pleasure, only citrus fruits should not be fed often. You can not give the chipmunk plums, since their bones contain such a substance that is dangerous for the animal.
Fresh water should always be in the cage. An animal can throw a bowl, so it is recommended to install a drinking bowl, or rather a few. The chipmunk needs to put a piece of chalk so that it nibbles, grinds the incisors. By the way, now you can buy a special dry food in almost any pet store and alternate it with ordinary food, which diversifies the pet’s diet.
More about the important
It must be remembered that the animal (the chipmunk) does not like intense heat, in the wild it only in spring, when it is still cool, can soak up the sun. Therefore, special darkened places must be created in the cage so that the pet can hide if desired. In the spring, it is desirable even at home to provide the rodent with the opportunity to bask in the sun. It is also important to know that grabbing a chipmunk by the tail is categorically impossible, since the skin is very thin, so this can lead to injury, which will result in the tail being amputated. Do not forget that if you do not give the pet solid food, with the help of which he will grind his incisors, then they can subsequently grow to such an extent that the rodent can even die.
Conclusion
An Asian (or Siberian) chipmunk is domesticated relatively recently, so you should beware of his bites. Even when the pet is already used to its owner, it can still bite, which, believe me, is not very pleasant. If you still decide to make yourself such a pet, then carefully follow all the above details. If the animal is provided with the correct diet and optimal living conditions, it will live long and will please you and your family.