# A killer chipmunk in my back yard!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 5, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494 "2002-08-05T23:12:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/1 "2002-08-05T23:12:33Z")

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This afternoon, my mother saw a chipmunk attack a sparrow, **bite out its throat** and drag the corpse under a trash-can lid to hide it. I’ve never heard of chipmunks acting in such a manner and wonder if it might be rabid.

Or did she just happen to witness a psychopathic rodent?

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/2 "2002-08-05T23:15:41Z")

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During the midst of my chipmunk thead, I did some research. It mentioned that chipmunks are omniverous, but mostly eat plant matter supplemented by occasional insects or even smaller animals. A sparrow seems a bit large. How did it catch the thing?

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**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2002, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/3 "2002-08-05T23:37:56Z")

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I happen to know from experience that chipmunks are very, very dangerous. Beware.

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**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/4 "2002-08-06T00:08:06Z")

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I think the animal just caught it by surprise. I didn’t myself see the thing; my mother was the only one home at the time.

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**Author:** ![TheOnlySaneOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/67e7ee/32.png) [@TheOnlySaneOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOnlySaneOne)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/5 "2002-08-06T01:27:22Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Neidhart \*  
> \*\*This afternoon, my mother saw a chipmunk attack a sparrow, **bite out its throat** and drag the corpse under a trash-can lid to hide it. I’ve never heard of chipmunks acting in such a manner and wonder if it might be rabid.
> 
> Or did she just happen to witness a psychopathic rodent? \*\*

Makes you look at Chip and Dale in a whole new fashion, don’t it?

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**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\
**Post date:** [August 6, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-killer-chipmunk-in-my-back-yard/122494/6 "2002-08-06T01:58:16Z")

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Next time they come round singing Christmas carols in their high little voices, I’ll bolt the door.