spring/aggression and hibernation/defense

[dmanger]

Hi everyone,
I've got a 3 year old single male chipmunk who lives inside. 
As spring approaches he is extremely aggressive towards me. I think i can predict this behavior after 3 winters.
Does everybody see this behavior ??

This is how the cycle goes in a time-line style:
1) He's normally friendly and fairly predictable but in late fall he'll start caching his food and becomes more and more erratic
2) eventually he'll seem fine one moment and then flip out and attack my hands the next.
3) He'll start attacking at my hands and even continues to pursue them until i can catch him in a towel.
4) He enters his quasi-hibernation stage for a while
5) Spring hits he'll be awake more but is Extremely aggressive and will pounce at the cage sides if i get too close.
6) One day, he'll just snap out of it and become very friendly again.

From what I can figure out this behavior seems kind-of normal in terms of defense/hibernation and spring/testosterone but i haven't been able to find too much written about it. Hopefully you all can relate.

One last question: I don't plan on breeding (should i think about neutering him ?)

-Dave M

[Gilly]

Hi Dave and welcome 
Thats one crazy chippie you've got. It sounds like he tells you when he wants his privacy. Mine sound pretty placid compared to yours.
It amazes me how they can pick up on the different seasons even when they are inside.
Your probably right about him just being very defensive over his stash and territory.
Hopefully you will get some help or peace of mind with his behaviour from other members.

[Nate]

Hi and welcome Dave. 

Mine have their moods, but I can't say I've had a chippie that gets aggressive with me. What I sometimes get as now, is pickles moving away from me if i try to stroke him. Most of the rest of the year he's OK with a stroke and will come on my arm or shoulder. It's like I've been bad to him or he's frightened of me, he'll be OK soon I hope.

All but two of my males have been neutered, the genral consensus seems to be that is makes them calmer, so it could work for yours. It takes about a month for the testosterone to completely leave their body after the oppp.