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GLACIER National Park |
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 Chipmunks are found in every community, from prairie to tundra, in Glacier. Each of the park's three very similar species has its preferred habitat. The diurnal counterpart to nocturnally active mice, which have the same diet of seeds, berries and occasional insects, chipmunks adapt easily to the presence of people and become nuisances if encouraged by handouts. Feeding rodents is dangerous and is harmful to them. By altering their diets and blunting their cautious instincts, daily exposure to "free lunches" makes the animals less fit to face the harsh realities of their natural environment. |
 Unlike whitetail deer, which remain in lowland areas all year, mule deer range upward into high meadows during the summer. The bucks, especially, are wanderers and travel together. Velvet antlers, worn during the time of summer sociability, presage the autumn contests to come. |
 The checkerspot butterfly belongs to the most diverse group of animals on the planet—the insects, whose importance can hardly be overestimated. They not only help recycle nutrients in the living community and provide an abundant food base for other lifeforms, but are instrumental in pollinating most of the earth's terrestrial plants. |
 Alpine vegetation must be able to survive freezing temperature during the growing season, since winter conditions are possible even in summer. Early bloomers, such as the glacier lily, endure repeated snowfalls during the unstable weather conditions of June. |
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Last Modified: Sat, Nov 4 2006 10:00:00 pm PST |
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