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Is it a chipmunk?


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Last night, at a friend's house, we saw a little creature running down the terrace wall.  It was a bit bigger than a mouse, but smaller than a squirrel, with black and white stripes along the side of its face, and a bushy tail ending in a bit of an elongated pom-pom.  It looked as though it was still a baby.

I have never seen one before, and my french freinds were equally baffled as to what it might be. They live in the Lot, in a fairly rural location, near to a small wood.

I've had search on google, and it does look a little bit like a chipmunk or tamia (see picture below). Has anyone ever seen one of these in France?

 

 

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Thanks for the suggestion Christine, I had wondered about that too, but after looking at some photos on google it really did look more chipmunkish.

I'm finding it difficult though to find much any reference to chipmunks in France.

 

 

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Thanks Valerie, that was the photo I found when I searched too [:)]

It was taken in a park in Paris I think.  I've looked up Siberian Chipmunk, and it does seem that they have colonised parts of Europe due to escape from captivity.  Apparently they make a loud chirping noise, which is exactly what drew my attention to it in the first place, as I thought their cat had caught a bird. 

I think that could well be it, Tamia de Siberie (tamias sibiricus) sometimes called Suisse.

Cute little devils aren't they, although it's just possible that they could be on Chris's hit list of unwanted invading critters that compete with native wildlife. They are certainly on DEFRA's http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/4464304.stm

 

 

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I really understand why it's important to keep the native animals safe etc. - but I hate to see or hear of things like that.  It's like the Ruddy Duck!!  I'm not swearing, by the way.  The Ruddy duck was brought to the UK by "experts" but since it started to out breed the native ducks, they are being culled - with the support of the RSPB.  It's why I left the RSPB - I just couldn't suppport an organisation that agrees with this sort of practice.

Let nature take it's course.  If the chipmunks are expected to be killed by grey squirrals, why go out looking to shoot the poor wee things. [:(].  I'm just a big, veggie, tree hugging softie.  [:$]

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If it is a loir or glis glis then it is the edible dormouse, so beloved of the Romans.

Two ways of cooking them; roasted and then rolled in honey and pine nuts, or stuffed with pork, pepper, nuts and asafoetida and then either boiling or frying them.

I know they're a protected species, but no-one will mind if you tell them you are an archaeologist.

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Definitely Tamias sibiricus, I couldn't believe it when I flicked on this thread and you are in the Lot, is that where you saw it? I knew that they were around in parts of France in the east but I had no idea that they were that far south west.

I'll have to respond, sorry, about the requirement to kill certain creatures and if anyone thinks that people in conservation get any pleasure from it they should be in no doubt that this is definitely not the case, in fact it is entirely the opposite, it's a real pain in every sense. If people stopped being so dumb, yeah well if pigs could fly, and stopped thinking that it might be a bit of fun to release the odd this or that here and there it wouldn't be necessary, and that includes putting goldfish in the village pond!!!

Nature can't take it's course if we keep moving species around the planet, that is not nature taking it's course, it's not even habitat management, it's crass stupidity and it's illegal these days.

You shouldn't blame organisations like the RSPB for having to make hard decisions and pick up the pieces, everyone I know in wildlife and conservation cares very much about living creatures and that includes me and you have no idea how much it pees us of, and that includes certain animal rights activists who think it's clever to "liberate" creatures.

OK, I've had my say, Chris

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Hi Chris,

I'm sorry about my rant earlier - I know that no one involved in conservation likes to have to kill any innocent creature - for just being in the wrong place, because of mans ignorance.  I am, as I said earlier, a total softie.  I won't even kill a wasp - I have to urge it out, with a paper (carefully, as not to hurt it!).  I lift snails of our driveway, before driving out!!  

I do, however, still disagree with the RSPB's decision regarding the Ruddy Duck.  Organisations like the Wildlife & Wetlands Trust made many suggestions, which amoung others, involved moving, rather than culling - but they were totally ignored.  I think what really got my goat, though - was that it was the Spanish, who were clearing wetlands, that were to blame for the decrease in the native European ducks & not the Ruddy Duck (really wish it wasn't called that!! [:$] )

Sorry again - & please don't think I'm some sort of activist who goes around liberating animals or threatening organisations who work with animals.  I may not agree with things - but I just do what I can to make any creature I come across, as safe & happy as possible. [:)]

  

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I wasn't having a go as such and to be honest I know nothing about the Ruddy duck other than it's one of our American friends and puts itself about a bit, better be careful what I say here!!  Although I have no idea what was involved in the decision making process in that case, I do know that what appears in public doesn't always tell the whole story; the pressures and compromises that have to be made with the "authorities" and other bodies.

 

Personally, I would like to see an end to the trade in exotic species for "pets" as inevitably some of these will find their way into the wild, sometimes it may not matter but in many cases it will.

 

The creature which is the subject of this thread was released in Holland, Switzerland, Austria and Finland, I'm unclear whether this was accidental or deliberate, perhaps someone, Valerie maybe, knows the answer.

 

 

Best wishes, Chris
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Funny but true!

Last summer, having been living here for about a week or 2 I went in to a Sesame store looking for a short mattress. I put my hand into my handbag for my measuring tape and to my horror something grabbed onto my hand! I pulled  out  something quite cute, like a 'loir' which was hanging on for dear life onto my hand and wrist!

I looked at it, it looked at me and with a silent scream I threw it off my hand and onto the floor where it was a little stunned for a moment or two before it ran off!  Luckily I didnt pull it out when I was paying for my shopping in Leclerc only minutes earlier!

I vaguely remember mickey mouse ears and a strippy tale, though I'mnot exactly sure what it was.

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[quote user="chris pp"]

Definitely Tamias sibiricus, I couldn't believe it when I flicked on this thread and you are in the Lot, is that where you saw it? I knew that they were around in parts of France in the east but I had no idea that they were that far south west.

[/quote]

Yes Chris, it was in the Lot.  I spoke to my friends last night, and they say that they have been keeping a watch and now think that there are several of these chipmunks living in their loft, and that the one we saw was a baby.

They are undeniably cute, but they don't belong here, or even in Europe, at all.  As no-one around here has ever seen one before I'd say that they are still pretty rare in these parts.

I only have to think about plight of red squirrels in the UK to realise the dangers "imported" animals pose for native wildlife.

 

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Have to agree with Chris here. I'm another who rarely kills anything, even flies get trapped and put outsdide, only for the blighters to come back in!

Releasing animals into the wild has nowt to do with nature taking it's course, indeed as Chris says, it CAN'T take it's course under those circumstances.

And I STILL reckon it was something to do with people releasing stuff into the wild, the two snakes I saw in the River Tarn upstream of Millau, about 12 years ago. Red black and yellow bands! One about a foot long and thin, the other around 3 feet long and thicker.

Alcazar

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Last year the glis glis that live in our roof were eating the very over-ripe grapes growing on our house and were so drunk you could touch them and they were not bothered.

I am glad to hear they are a protected species - strange though how at the hardware store they sell poison with pictures of them on the tin???

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Just to avoid any confusion, Loir are not protected in France. They are protected in the UK (hard to believe) where they exist in a smallish area after having been introduced in Bedfordshire? I think? You will probably find something if you Google it.

Chris

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The snake is only a bit like it, the black bands werer equal sized to the red and yellow. The only one I've seen EXACTLY as I remember it, was a North  American Corn Snake. Unfortunately, my youngest, whop also saw it, was only 4, so his memories are hazier than my red-wine hazed ones.

Alcazar

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It's a Lérot or garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus. They tend to live outdoors, although they will use houses, but not as much as Loir, they can be found all over France and are affectionately known as "bandits".  Species not present in the UK.

Pretty little things.

Chris.

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