Foraging Chipmunks

Here’s my newest woodcarving and sculpture of chipmunks and a brief explanation of my process. After carving the chipmunks in wood, then I finely sanded and textured their fur. Next, I fabricated little feet and hands out of metal, and finally painted them with acrylics. Also, I created their acorns and habitat from wood, metal, and acrylics. Found from southern Canada, the Northeast, west to Oklahoma, and south to Georgia (where I’m located), eastern chipmunks prefer open woodlands or forest edges in urban and rural habitats alike with plenty of cover and dry hillsides for digging burrows. The chipmunk is most active in early morning and late afternoon, gathering and storing seeds, nuts, acorns and berries. Other foods include insects and small amphibians. Unlike squirrels, chipmunks spend most of their time foraging on the ground, climbing trees only occasionally. Each chipmunk’s trail may be a complicated zigzag from burrow to foraging grounds, and the pattern is repeated over and over again. They’re fun to watch!