Interesting facts about gophers. The most interesting facts about gophers
1. Gopher - an animal of the chordate type, mammal class, rodent order, squirrel family, ground squirrel family.
2.Gophers or prairie dogs- These are small and cute rodents with an elongated head, small ears and a funny short tail.
3. The ground squirrel's habitat is the open landscapes of the entire Northern Hemisphere. Rodents are found in North America, and in Eastern Europe, and in Asia (its northern part), as well as in the Caucasus. Gophers live not only in the Arctic Circle, but also in the desert, and can also climb high into the mountains.
4. These animals inhabit the steppes, forest-steppes, meadow-steppe and forest-tundra natural areas, but are more common in open areas. On the territory of Russia there are 10 varieties of such animals.
5. The genus of gophers includes 38 species. The most studied types of ground squirrels are: European (western, gray) ground squirrel, American (Beringian, American long-tailed) ground squirrel, large (reddish) ground squirrel, small ground squirrel, mountain (mountain Caucasian) ground squirrel, red-cheeked ground squirrel, yellow ground squirrel (gopher - sandstone), long-tailed ground squirrel (Eversman ground squirrel) and spotted ground squirrel.
European ground squirrel
6. European (western, gray) ground squirrel is a small rodent up to 20 cm in size with a short tail 4-7 cm long and small cheek pouches. The coloration of the back is gray-brown, often with noticeable yellowish-white ripples or specks. Flanks rusty-yellowish, belly pale yellowish.
7. The European species of ground squirrels lives in isolated colonies on the territory of Central and of Eastern Europe from Germany and Austria to Turkey and Moldova.
8. The European ground squirrel is the main food for a number of predators: the steppe polecat, the steppe eagle. Due to a sharp decline in the population, the gray ground squirrel is taken under protection in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and is listed in the Red Books of Moldova and Ukraine.
9. Russian word“gopher” comes from the Old Slavonic “susati”, which means “to hiss”.
10. The life expectancy of a gopher is from 1 to 3 years, the maximum recorded age of the animal is 8 years.
american gopher
11. American (Beringian, American long-tailed) ground squirrel is one of the most large species ground squirrels, some individuals grow up to almost 40 cm and have a tail up to 13 cm in length. The coloration of the back is brownish-buffy with a distinct pattern of large light spots, the head is darker, brown-rusty. The color of the abdomen is bright, fawn-rusty. The winter fur of the ground squirrel is lighter, with a predominance of gray tones.
12. The American long-tailed ground squirrel is distributed in Eurasia (from Kamchatka, Siberia, almost to Magadan) and North America, from Alaska to Canada. Is important part tundra ecosystems.
13. Ground squirrels feed on underground and aboveground parts of plants, the type of which depends on the season and habitat. It can be wormwood, wheatgrass, clover, bulbous plants, for example, tulips, cultivated cereals (rye, wheat, millet, oats), melons, legumes, sunflowers. Gophers also feed on acorns, young plantings fruit trees(apricots, peaches).
14. Some ground squirrels, in addition to plant food, also eat animal food: bird eggs and small chicks from ground nests, mouse-like rodents, and also various insects and their larvae: caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, locusts, do not disdain carrion and kitchen waste.
15. Gophers lead a predominantly terrestrial lifestyle in entire colonies. A small "settlement" of 10-12 burrows gathers on the surface with the onset of the day and everyone gets down to their own business. One may play while another cleans or gnaws at the roots of plants, but the slightest hint of danger raises a general commotion and, with a piercing whistle, each runs to his hiding place. As soon as the danger has passed, everyone will return to their business.
Large (reddish) ground squirrel
16. Large (reddish) ground squirrel is the largest animal of this genus with a body length of up to 34 cm. The weight of the ground squirrel reaches 1.4 kg, and the tail is 10 cm long. The dark ocher-brown color of the back differs markedly from the reddish sides. The superciliary arches and cheeks of the animal are painted red or brown. The big ground squirrel lives in the steppes of Russia and in Kazakhstan. This type rodents refers to agricultural pests and plague pathogens.
17. Most species of ground squirrels breed once a year, some are able to bear offspring several times. Rutting occurs immediately after the hibernation of rodents, which can last up to 6-8 months.
18. After mating, the female ground squirrel bears offspring for about a month. There can be from 2 to 12 cubs in a brood, which are born completely naked, blind and deaf. After a week, the offspring is covered with fluffy fur, after 2 weeks it begins to see clearly.
19. These animals prefer to live in burrows that they dig very deep, but they only use them for a season.
20. Gophers “build” their dwellings in meadows, pastures and fields. The length of the hole, as well as its "furnishings", entirely depend on the landscape of habitat and the type of ground squirrel itself. On sandy soils - up to 3 meters deep and 15 meters long, in clay soils - up to 5-7 m. A nesting chamber is always arranged inside the hole itself, which the ground squirrel covers with dry grass.
small gopher
21. Lesser ground squirrel is one of the smallest types of ground squirrels. A short-tailed rodent with a body length of up to 24 cm and a tail of less than 4 cm. It is distinguished by an inconspicuous, earthy gray or fawn color. Huge populations inhabit the steppes from the Volga region, the Dnieper region and Caucasus mountains, to the coast of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas.
22. Colonies of small ground squirrels mercilessly destroy melons and fodder plantings, are carriers of plague, brucellosis and other diseases of epidemiological significance.
23. The sleep of this rodent during hibernation is the strongest sleep in the world. The gopher can even be taken out of the mink, shaken up, but he will not wake up. The type of yellow ground squirrels differs in the duration of sleep - it spends as much as 9 months in this state.
24. Gophers communicate with each other using ultrasound, while human hearing picks up a subtle sound that looks like a hoarse whisper.
25. Gophers hibernate from 5 to 9 months a year. They can hibernate even in the absence of food at any time of the year.
mountain gopher
26. Mountain (mountainous Caucasian) ground squirrel is a small animal, with a body up to 24 cm in length and a tail 5 cm. It looks like a small gopher, but much more unpretentious to the living conditions.
27. The mountain gopher lives on the meadow slopes of Elbrus and the coastal areas of the Kuban and Terek rivers. In the Caucasus region, it is considered the main pest of lands and a carrier infectious diseases, including the plague.
28. Vision in gophers, like in many animals that conduct a large number of time underground, bad. (Therefore, very often they can be seen on various elevations in the immediate vicinity of their holes.)
29. The tail of gophers has special sensitive endings that allow rodents to navigate very quickly and accurately in numerous underground passages.
30. The jaw of gophers has protruding incisors (fangs, like all rodents, they do not have). Such modifications of teeth allow them to create underground passages without swallowing the earth.
Red-cheeked ground squirrel
31. Red-cheeked ground squirrel is a medium-sized rodent, growing up to 28 cm in length, with a tail 4-6 cm. This type of ground squirrel is distinguished by characteristic brown or red spots located on the cheeks.
32. Representatives of the red-cheeked ground squirrel are common on the Siberian plains, in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Animals are characterized as dangerous pests sowing and horticultural crops, are carriers of plague and encephalitis.
33. Gophers great amount Enemies: Antelopes, coyotes, foxes, wolves, badgers, hawks, eagles and snakes. It is noteworthy that in adult ground squirrels, the body produces an antidote to snake venom to avoid death.
34. If a snake enters the hole of a gopher, the female stands across the passage and waving her tail with all her might, trying to look bigger. The mother, who defends her offspring, is not afraid of the upcoming fight, and she continues the defense, even when bitten by a poisonous snake.
35. The territory of the colony is always guarded by a guard gopher, the posture of this gopher resembles a stand. In the case of a person or predator approaching, the animal emits a special signal resembling a squeak. Such a cry of a gopher warns the flock of danger.
yellow gopher
36. Yellow ground squirrel (gopher - sandstone), the largest ground squirrel living in Russia, grows up to 38 cm, average weight is 800 grams. Rodents are distinguished by a yellow-sand color of the back and poorly developed cheek pouches.
37. The yellow ground squirrel lives in the steppes of the Volga region, Kazakhstan, in the desert landscapes of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
38. Sandstone ground squirrel is not a serious agricultural pest, it partially transmits the plague virus. Valued for spring fur imitating mink and lard suitable for consumption.
39. Female gophers are caring mothers: while the offspring are growing and gaining strength, the mother digs separate holes for them, where the children move.
40. An independent life of gophers begins at 4-5 months.
Long-tailed ground squirrel
41. Long-tailed ground squirrel (Eversman gopher) is a large animal, grows up to almost 32 cm and is distinguished by a long (up to 16 cm), fluffy tail. The color of the back of this ground squirrel is brownish-buffy with light specks; on the sides and shoulders turns into red. The belly is bright, reddish-yellow.
42. The habitat of long-tailed ground squirrels has been noted in Siberia, the Trans-Baikal region, Mongolia and China. Gopher is food for foxes, golden eagles, owls, participates in soil formation, is valued for fur and fat. Crops harm only partially.
43. Each gopher builds his own mink up to 15 meters long at a depth of 1.5 to 7 meters. They have their own system of moves and "rooms".
44. Gophers build "rooms" for the protection of the settlement, for the birth of offspring (summer burrows), for hibernation (winter burrows).
45. Gophers, like humans, have lacrimal glands (only they are slightly enlarged), which allow mammals to get rid of dust and dirt that gets into their eyes. For the same reasons, gophers have a barely noticeable auricle.
spotted ground squirrel
46. Spotted ground squirrel is one of the smallest types of ground squirrels, weighing 500 grams. Its body length is only 17-26 cm, tail 3-5 cm. .
47. Speckled ground squirrel is distributed in the steppes and southern forest-steppes of the East European Plain, from the Danube and Prut to the middle reaches of the Volga. Also, the speckled ground squirrel lives in the north-west of Ukraine (Volyn Upland) and the west of Belarus (Novogrudok Upland, Kopyl Ridge).
48. Gophers are faithful animals. They, most often, choose a couple for life.
49. Gophers are one of decorative types pets. With talented training and incredible intelligence of animals, small mammals will be able to learn to carry out even individual commands.
50. The role of the ground squirrel in nature, as separate species, is as follows: by throwing the soil of the lower layers to the surface, these rodents contribute to soil formation. It was thanks to these animals that the fertile black soil of the south of Russia was formed, the most fertile layer of earth in the world.
>Gopher is a representative of the squirrel family, a medium-sized rodent and a pest of farmland, which is why it sometimes becomes an object of sport hunting, in particular varminting. Targeted shooting is due to the fact that the gopher endures dangerous diseases grain plants and is the causative agent of severe infections - brucellosis, tularemia, plague.
Description of the gopher
Gopher, depending on the species, can have different sizes - from medium to very small.. The body length of the ground squirrel ranges from 14 to 40 centimeters. The length of the tail is from 4 to 25 centimeters. The forelimbs of the ground squirrel are usually shorter than the hind limbs. On both of them, the 4th toe is longer than the 3rd. Ears - small, short, slightly protruding from the fur, slightly pubescent.
The body of the gopher is covered with a dense hairline. In summer, it is somewhat shorter, coarser and less frequent than in winter - in the cold season, the fur acquires greater density and length. The color of the gopher is not uniform and is prone to some diversity: the fur is dark on top, grayish-yellow below. On the back there may be spots of a light tone - whitish, light yellow or dirty yellow. Sometimes the color of the gopher in the back can be black. Often there are gray-brown and reddish shades. White lines run along the sides of the body, limited at the ends by a dark color.
hibernation gophers
The greatest activity among ground squirrels falls on warm and daytime, but most they spend their lives in burrows. Ground squirrels hibernate there, however, unlike other representatives of the animal world, they can fall asleep not only during the cold season, going into hibernation, but also during the summer drought - in the absence of the necessary amount of food for food. The duration of hibernation in gophers always varies and depends on the geographic and weather-climatic zone. in which gophers live. AT southern regions hibernation of gophers is short-term or may be completely absent, in the more northern ones it is full and long-term. Exit from hibernation in ground squirrels depends only on the onset of heat.
Types of gophers
There are a very large number of ground squirrel species - a total of 38. Only 9 of them live on the territory of the Russian Federation. The most common for Russian latitudes are long-tailed ground squirrel, yellow ground squirrel, small ground squirrel, speckled ground squirrel and some others.
Types of gophers:
big gopher;
Sierramadres ground squirrel;
golden gopher;
yellow ground squirrel;
red-cheeked ground squirrel;
Dahurian ground squirrel;
Colombian ground squirrel;
European ground squirrel;
Mexican ground squirrel;
mountain and so on.
Ground squirrel habitat
The main habitats of ground squirrels are the temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. It is distributed in the forest-tundra, meadow-steppe, forest-steppe and steppe zones. Typical for open landscape areas. In the meadow areas of the riverine valleys, the ground squirrel often enters even the Arctic, in the steppes - in deserts and semi-deserts, and in the mountainous steppes even goes to the mountains, rising 3.5 kilometers above sea level. The ground squirrel lives in North America and throughout Eurasia. Leads an exclusively ground-underground way of life.
Where does the gopher live
The ground squirrel lives mainly in burrows that he digs himself. The duration, branching and arrangement of such dwellings may differ depending on the species of ground squirrels, geographical features territories in which they are located. For example, long-tailed ground squirrels equip holes up to 3 meters deep and up to 15 meters long. They dig on sandy soils. On clay soils (heavier), burrows go no more than 2 meters deep with a 5-, 7-meter length. Gophers live in them in colonies, equipping pantries and nesting chambers (the latter are covered with dry vegetation). At the moment of danger, the ground squirrels standing on guard immediately hide in holes, warning relatives by whistling about the threat.
What does gopher eat
The ground squirrel's diet includes underground and aboveground parts of grasses. that grow in close proximity to their homes. However, not all types of ground squirrels are prone exclusively to plant foods - some of them also eat animal food. As a rule, these are various types of insects. Gophers are also characterized by the accumulation of food reserves, with which they fill the pantry chambers of their holes. Usually for these purposes ground squirrels use seeds of grasses and grains of cereal crops (cereals).
gopher hunting
Varminting is often practiced on gophers - a special sport hunting, the purpose of which is to shoot to "keep the species within the natural framework." That is, gophers cause very strong harm. agriculture, causing losses in the steppe zones with intensive farming (especially in the Volga region, Ciscaucasia and Ukraine). The greatest harm is caused by speckled and small ground squirrels. However, this is not the only reason sports hunting: ground squirrels pose a threat to the spread of various dangerous infectious diseases - for example, they are carriers of the plague.
Gopher hunting is mainly popular because of their delicious and delicious meat., as well as valuable skins. But its prey is complicated by the fact that this gopher rarely appears on the surface, spending most of its time underground. In addition, the gopher is incredibly brisk and evasive. His behavior dictated three main methods of hunting:
- gopher hunting for bait;
- gopher hunting with traps;
- gopher hunting with a rifle.
The first two methods of hunting gophers are often combined, just like the first and third. That is, bait is ideal remedy to lure the gopher out of the hole to the surface of the earth, where it falls either into a trap or under rifle shots.
The principle of such hunting methods for gophers is quite simple. Bait is set in front of the hole, and the shooter himself moves 350 meters away from the gopher's dwelling and prepares for an aimed shot. At good deal and good luck, one hunter per day is able to get more than 10 gophers in this way. At the same time, the shooters must have an excellent reaction, since one wrong shot - and the animals can no longer be expected, as they go deep underground. But it is worth noting that per recent times the number of gophers has decreased, so hunting for them is not allowed.
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Gophers are small rodents that belong to the squirrel family. Their body length can be up to 40 cm. The forelimbs are shorter than the hind ones. The ears are short, there is very little fur on them. The color of the fur of the back of gophers is very diverse, sometimes there are gophers with stripes or spots. Gophers have cheek pouches.
Gophers are typical burrowers, that is, animals that spend most of their time in burrows. They lead a colonial lifestyle.
Ground squirrels have a varied diet: succulent parts of herbs, bulbs, seeds, fruits, insects. They can find food by smell. In search of food, they can sometimes travel several kilometers.
funny gophers
Gophers are very funny animals. They are quite interesting to watch. They are very cautious, but as soon as one or two come out of the mink and start to frolic, they are immediately surrounded by dozens of other ground squirrels. And when there is danger, everyone scatters very quickly, and after a moment the clearing becomes empty.
You can often see how gophers stand at their minks, frozen like columns. But if you move, trying to approach them, gophers emit a piercing whistle and instantly disappear.
Winter dream
Gophers live in deep burrows that change every season. For the winter, they wall up the entrance to the hole with earth and hibernate. They sleep all winter, during which time they do not eat anything. The body temperature drops, the heart beats very rarely, 5 times per minute. During the winter, ground squirrels lose a lot of weight, losing almost half of their normal weight. Six months later, they wake up, gradually warm up, go outside and begin an active life.
Pests
Gophers sometimes cause significant damage to gardens and orchards. They gnaw fruit seedlings at the roots, dig up crops, eat the green parts of plants and fruits, trample the beds. It comes with the way of flooding holes and seeding.
habitats
There are many gophers in the northern and temperate latitudes, in the Arctic. Meadow gophers are not afraid of the cold. steppe gophers prefer to settle in deserts and semi-deserts. They can also be seen in Eastern Siberia, steppes Central Asia and in the mountains of the North Caucasus.
Recently, the number of ground squirrels in central Russia decreased as a result of plowing and cultivation of the land. The habitat conditions of these rodents have changed, and they began to move from here to the northwestern part of the country.
The gopher animal is a close relative of the squirrel. This is a small rodent that has earned the reputation of an unwanted guest for people.
What is this small, seemingly harmless creature? Let's try to find out a little more about him.
In our country there are several species of this animal. The most common of these are the lesser ground squirrel, the speckled ground squirrel, and the greater ground squirrel. Some scientists distinguish the thin-legged ground squirrel into a separate category. However, despite the different species, all ground squirrels are similar to each other in behavior, nutrition and the way of breeding offspring.
Appearance of an animal called gopher
Depending on the species, these rodents have some differences in appearance, but we will indicate the average size of these animals.
The body length of an average adult ground squirrel is from 20 to 38 centimeters. The tail, as a rule, is half as long as the body, it is very fluffy in the ground squirrel.
The ears have a slightly underdeveloped appearance, they are more like a roller. The front legs of the animal are shorter than the hind legs. Since this animal belongs to rodents, it has very well developed teeth, they are able to gnaw through hard roots.
Where do gophers live
These animals can be found on a vast territory located in the northern hemisphere. They are attracted by steppe zones, as well as meadow-steppe areas. In addition, ground squirrels can settle in the forest-tundra zone.
Sometimes the populations of these animals reach the Arctic Circle and even beyond it. They meet gophers not only on the flat terrain, but also in the mountains, where they rise to a height of 3.5 thousand meters above sea level.
The way of life of gophers, their behavior in nature and nutrition
Gophers are colonial animals. For a comfortable stay, these rodents dig holes for themselves. If the soil allows. Then underground they build entire tunnels. Sometimes the depth of the gopher hole can be 3 meters. And the length of such a structure can be about 15 meters!
Inside such a dwelling, something like a nest is often created, where gophers hibernate and breed. "Nest" is covered with grass and other natural material for softness and warmth.
But these animals do not spend a lot of time in holes, because. Mostly. They lead a terrestrial lifestyle. Activity is manifested in ground squirrels in the morning. But if they did not have time to do all the things in the morning, then they can continue to be active in the evening.
The diet of these animals consists of all kinds of herbs, grains, rhizomes. Gophers and seeds are eaten.
In winter, ground squirrels hibernate in their warm and deep burrows. Sometimes, due to the lack of food during the summer season, these rodents may also fall asleep.
gopher breeding
Waking up after a winter sleep, gophers begin to breed. The female bears babies for about a month. Gophers are born from 5 to 7 cubs, but the maximum number is 13 babies. Newborns stay with their mother for no longer than one and a half months, after this period of time, the female simply drives her children out to “free bread”.
Who is a gopher? Where does he live? What does a ground squirrel eat? If you are interested in knowing the answers to such questions, then read this article.
Description
The ground squirrel is a small mammal of the order of rodents of the squirrel family. There are about 40 species of this animal on earth. They differ in body size from 15 to 40 cm, of which the tail occupies half of the entire length. Colors are different (from green to purple, with various stripes or spots along the back). These rodents live in large colonies.
As a rule, they live in one family in dug holes, the length of which varies from 5 to 20 meters, depending on the type of soil. Burrows each ground squirrel digs for himself independently, females have deeper dwellings, males have less. Often these animals, after hibernation, occupy unoccupied shelters and gradually deepen them.
Each hole has a special room, insulated with hay, straw and leaves, in which the animal remains for hibernation until spring. That's where all the food is stored. Her gophers eat the entire period of sleep. During wintering, all passages leading to this room are closed, and a small depression is made by the animal upwards. In the spring, the rodent makes an exit vertically upwards. It is typical for all types of ground squirrels to stock up on large volumes of provisions during hibernation. It is noteworthy that this species of mammals hibernates not only in winter during cold weather and lack of food, but also in summer during drought, especially rodents living in desert areas. But, for example, the Arctic gopher is in a state of hibernation for up to nine months a year.
hibernation
The state of torpor or hibernation in these animals is a unique phenomenon that many scientists to this day cannot unravel. Experts, for example, cannot understand how gophers manage to maintain the body under the following conditions:
- Their body temperature drops to -3 degrees.
- The frequency of the heartbeat is from one to five times per minute.
- Breathing is variable from a series of ten breaths and exhalations to an hour-long break.
The hibernation period is interrupted by rare awakenings to warm up the limbs, emptying and eating.
Lifespan and some other characteristics
In a state of activity, the body temperature of the gopher is about forty degrees, the pulse is more than 350 beats per minute, the respiratory rate is more than 200 times. small enough and, depending on the variety, does not exceed five years.
Reproduction and nutrition
Females in late April-early May bring from 3 to 8 cubs, which are gestated for about a month. hallmark females is the presence of four to six pairs of nipples. By autumn, the cubs are already independent enough to dig their own hibernation holes and prepare the necessary supplies of provisions. Animals reach puberty in the spring during the rut.
Juveniles are the last to hibernate, just after adult males and females that have given birth, as they barely have time to accumulate the required amount of fat. In years when early frosts come, many rodents die.
Gophers: what do they eat during the cold season?
Now let's look at this issue in detail. What does a ground squirrel eat in cold weather in order to withstand such enormous loads on the body? The main part of the diet is plant foods. What do gophers eat in the steppe? These animals consume tubers, stems, seeds, cereals, that is, the whole plant. The extraction of food occurs within the same territory, which is fiercely marked and guarded by its owner.
What do gophers eat in the steppe? Some species of these rodents, in addition to plant foods, eat insects, frogs and other small animals that they can catch. This way of eating allows gophers to accumulate unique in that it freezes only at a temperature of -18 degrees.
Its share in the body of a gopher can be up to 80% of body weight. Before hibernation, rodents devote the whole day to searching for food. An individual can live for one month without food. Therefore, you need to think about food in advance.
Feeding
At home, the animal eats various crops that form the basis of its daily diet. What does a ground squirrel eat? What can be given to animals at home? First of all, these are succulent grasses growing near holes, various cereal crops. It can be wheat, oats and other sunflowers that have matured and are in milk maturity or seeds from them, beets, carrots, bread.
You can also purchase specially formulated mixes for ground squirrels or other rodents at the pet store. Depending on the type of these mammals you can pamper your pet just make sure that in wild nature they do consume insects. When buying a pet in a pet store, it is best to consult the seller about what the ground squirrel of this species eats and what should not be added to the rodent's diet.
Conclusion
Now you know who a gopher is. This is a very interesting animal that hibernates and not only in winter. We also told you what the animal eats in nature and what should be the food of gophers at home.
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