Stage 5 — Eyes Open, Burrow Skills & Development

• Move from cardboard to a secure pet carrier once the chipmunk is mobile enough to chew or climb out.
• Any opening large enough for the skull can become an escape route. Cover oversized doors/vents with secure ½-inch welded wire mesh or finer where needed.
• Use multiple hides and a dark nest area so the chipmunk can retreat without burying itself under bedding.
• Provide branches, bark, leaves, paper/natural nesting material and safe tunnels.
• Keep bedding clean and dry; avoid aromatic cedar/pine shavings and dusty substrate.

Do not remove heat simply because the eyes opened. Reduce it in stages as the chipmunk maintains body temperature reliably: shorten daytime use first, then remove overnight heat last. If the animal becomes cool, sluggish or piles tightly against the former heat area, reintroduce support and slow the taper.

• Handle only for feeding, weighing, cleaning and health checks.
• Stop shoulder rides, cuddling, hand play and free roaming in the house.
• Approach quietly and predictably, but do not reward the chipmunk for coming to people.
• Provide hiding choices so retreat becomes the normal response to disturbance.
• If littermates are together, watch for exclusion, relentless chasing, wounds or one animal monopolizing food. Adult chipmunks are often territorial, so increasing aggression may require separation.

Chipmunk rehabilitation decisions should be based on the animal’s age, body weight, medical condition, species, season and release habitat. These references provide the practical and veterinary framework used throughout this pathway.