There is a great difference in the dispositions of the small wild
animals, some quickly responding to care and petting, while others seem
incapable of being tamed. It is the same with birds. I have found owls,
hawks, and other species very easily tamed, while prairie chickens and
quail appear to be incapable of domestication even in a small degree.
They will lose considerable fear of human beings if left in their
freedom to become accustomed to their near approach, but if placed in
captivity they pine away and die, or, finding some avenue of escape,
wander away and are lost. The nearest approach to domestication in the
prairie chicken tribe I ever noted, was that of a young bird that grew
up with a flock of young turkeys. We noticed it among the turkeys when
they were quite small. The prairie chicken must have been considerably
older than the turkeys, as at first it was larger than they were, but
they rapidly gained on it and were soon much the largest. However, the
little wildling clung to its adopted family and in the fall, when the
turkeys came and roosted in the plum trees near the buildings, it came
too and after a time lost most of its shyness and, strangest of all,
adopted the turkeys' mode of roosting in the trees. Later on, however,
it disappeared, probably joining a flock of its own kind.
The common striped ground-squirrel is very easily tamed if taken while
young and will soon learn to come if called by name, and will learn
many little tricks. The gray squirrels, though much prettier than
the striped ones, are naturally shyer and harder to tame. Rabbits
of the several species inhabiting the United States are capable of
domestication in a degree, though of all I ever owned but one would
return at my call when allowed its liberty out-of-doors. Western
jack-rabbits when young make most interesting and beautiful pets, and,
while confined, seem to lose all fear. Notwithstanding their prettiness
and their soft cuddling ways, they are stupid little things, all their
knowledge seeming to come through the calls of their appetites.
Minks and weasels have too fierce a nature to accept domestication,
and, so far as I have observed, show not the slightest degree of
affection for the one who feeds them. That odorous animal, the skunk,
however, is very susceptible to kindness, and will become as tame and
tractable as a pet dog. One of the most interesting pets I ever had
was a skunk taken when very young. It was allowed its full freedom and
would follow me around, come at my call, do many little tricks at
command, and was as playful as a kitten. Being thoroughly tamed it did
not make use of its objectionable means of offense and defense, though
when frightened it often "threatened" to. As in the case of the prairie
chicken, my pet skunk also disappeared when it was nearly grown,
thinking, perhaps, that it could make a better living for itself than
I could furnish it. Its favorite food was insects such as May-beetles
and their larvæ, grass-hoppers, and almost every kind of bug, worm, or
beetle; even hairy caterpillars were devoured after being rolled or
moulded with its paws to rub off most of the hairs. This little pet of
mine was never troubled with dyspepsia or indigestion and crammed its
capacious stomach with a vast amount of food--mostly insects--though
small mammals, eggs, birds, and once a young chicken were devoured
with relish. Mice of many species can be tamed to some extent though
I have found one of the shyest species when in a wild state to be the
most readily and thoroughly tamable. I refer to the deer mice. They
are pretty, yellowish brown creatures, white underneath, and have
large, dark, brilliant eyes and erect ears giving them a very handsome
expression. Their hind legs are much longer and stronger than those of
the ordinary mouse and they are capable of making extraordinary leaps
like the animals from which they get their common name.
When tamed they will learn little easy tricks such as sitting erect
and "begging" for food, coming when called by name, etc., and are not
so ready to use their teeth on the slightest provocation, as are their
cousins, the blue field mice.
By making pets of wild animals much can be learned of their habits,
dispositions, and characteristics. Especially their food habits, which,
in the wild state, exert so much influence in the economy of nature as
checks to the undue increase of other species of animals, insects, or
plants.
[Illustration: FROM COL. CHI. ACAD. SCIENCES.
COMMON GROUND HOG.
1/4 Life-size.
COPYRIGHT 1899,
NATURE STUDY PUB. CO., CHICAGO.]