REGION — Chipmunks hibernate in the winter, but this time of year they are seen nearly everywhere in the Upper Delaware Valley, collecting seeds and other food and already preparing for the winter. Chipmunks are related to squirrels and typically live for about three years in the wild.

According to various American Indian folk tales the chipmunk got the distinctive stripes on his back from an encounter with a bear. In one version, the chipmunk embarrassed the bear and the bear retaliated. In another version, the bear and the chipmunk argued over whether there should be continuous night, or alternately night and day.

In both stories, the chipmunk managed to wriggle free just as it was about to be seriously harmed by the bear, but the bear was able to swipe the chipmunk’s back just before the rodent entered its hole. Thus the stripes on the chipmunk’s back came to be.

For more information on summer wildlife go to River Talk on page 36.