The Least Chipmunk Takes Cute to Another Level
July Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Cute Creatures”
Chipmunks — royalty of the cute kingdom.
Chipmunks make people smile. They are tiny, and they are cute. The least chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) is the tiniest chipmunk of all.
Least chipmunks weigh about the same as a candy bar. But they are much more satisfying, in a visual sense, anyway.
Regarding chipmunks, North Americans are lucky to share the continent with them. Eastern chipmunks and least chipmunks may be the most common, but the continent hosts some 25 species of these little rodents. However, Asians are lucky, too, since they share their land with the Siberian chipmunk.
While some animals mark their territory, least chipmunks do the opposite. They mark an area with urine after it has been depleted of food. This way, they know they do not need to return. It saves them time and trouble.
I love watching chipmunks in the wild. They always make me smile. Like squirrels, they freeze or flee when they see humans. The one shown in the photo above chose to freeze.
A kitten is the only animal I can imagine being as cute as a chipmunk. The two can reign over the kingdom of cuteness in partnership.
How about you? What do you consider to be the cutest creature of all?
