Gophers are small mammals belonging to the order of rodents and to the family of squirrels. These creatures are the most numerous inhabitants of the steppes. There are 38 species of ground squirrels in the world. The most common of these are the small, yellow, speckled, large, rufous, European, long-tailed and red-cheeked ground squirrels.

What do gophers look like?

The body length of an average ground squirrel is about 25 cm, and the length of its tail is about 10 cm. The largest individuals reach a length of 40 cm, and with a tail - all 65 cm. Adults weigh from 1 kg to 1.6 kg. After hibernation, their weight varies from 600 g to 900 g.

The hind legs of these creatures are slightly longer than the front ones. The difference between gophers and other rodents lies in the shape of their ears: they are short and slightly lowered downwards. Behind the cheeks of these rodents are the so-called cheek pouches.

The coat color of gophers can vary from green to purple. Often their back is dotted with dark ripples and longitudinal dark stripes, like those of chipmunks. The sides of the gopher's body may have light vertical stripes. The color of the abdomen varies from whitish to dark yellow. The summer fur of gophers is short and coarse, while the winter fur is soft and thick.

Where do gophers live?

These little rodents with an affectionate name live in the steppes of Ukraine, Kazakhstan, in the Volga steppes, in the North Caucasus. These creatures live in minks. The depth of gopher holes varies from 80 cm to 150 cm. It is curious that at the end of their hole gophers equip a rather cozy corner, consisting of dry grass and leaves. They need it for winter hibernation.

What do gophers eat?

These animals, for the most part, are herbivores. Their diet includes succulent parts of steppe grasses, seeds and bulbs of plants. Sometimes gophers turn into predators and begin to eat insects: locusts, grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetles. It is curious that during the dry season these animals are able to make trips of 10 km in search of food.

Gopher is the enemy of man!

Despite their cute appearance and funny name, these animals have long been one of the most dangerous enemies of man. The fact is that these rodents (like the rest of their relatives) cause irreparable harm. agriculture. Gophers immensely devour ears of grain crops, make devastating raids on forest plantations, dig up maple seeds, acorns, apricot seeds, etc.

Gophers are very funny and cute rodents. We very often hear funny and affectionate nicknames that are somehow associated with this animal. But what is known about these animals? How and what do they eat? How do they protect their offspring? What are the adaptations to the conditions environment? These are the questions that will be answered in the article.

Morphological features of gophers

  1. The mass of gophers does not exceed two kilograms.
  2. The body length of mammals does not exceed twenty centimeters.
  3. Males are twice as large as females (thus, these mammals have very pronounced sexual dimorphism).
  4. Gophers have a gray-brown color. This coat color is an excellent camouflage.
  5. 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.)
  6. 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.
  7. Gophers, like humans, have lacrimal glands (only they are slightly enlarged) that allow mammals to get rid of dust and dirt that gets into their eyes. For the same reasons, gophers have a barely noticeable auricle.
  8. The tail of gophers has special sensitive endings that allow rodents to navigate very quickly and accurately in numerous underground passages.

Behavioral features of gophers

  • Gophers have a very well developed care for offspring. This is due to the fact that newborn animals are deaf, blind and have no hair (it appears on them only one week after birth, and after two weeks they gain sight).
  • Young cubs live in a separate hole dug out by their mother (since they are completely unarmed in the fight against natural enemies - in the first weeks of life they do not have an antidote to the poisons of various snakes).
  • Sometimes snakes penetrate holes with cubs of rodents, then their mother shows unprecedented courage in the fight against such a dangerous enemy: she stands on her lower paws and starts waving her fluffy tail, visually increasing in size. The mother does not retreat from protection up to the bites of poisonous snakes.
  • A surprising fact is the ability of gophers to sound notification of their relatives. Moreover, mammals make various sounds (most often it is a piercing squeak or a deafening whistle), it all depends on who is on this moment is their natural enemy: Human, predatory bird, a snake or other equally dangerous animals.
  • Gophers, like many mammals, hibernate. They store the amount of fat necessary to maintain life processes and go into their holes. Males can begin their long sleep even at the height of hot summer - in mid-July. Waking up in early March, the animals begin to look for sexual partners for procreation. Thus, hibernation can reach 7.5 months, and this is a large half of the year. What is it like to sleep through most of your life?

Physiological features of gophers

The female brings one brood per year, in which there are from two to twelve cubs. Pregnancy is short (23-28 days). Puberty come closer to six months.

Gophers live from one year to three years. If they are in favorable environmental conditions, then most of them live up to five years.

There are real centenarians among these small rodents: there are times when individual representatives of the species live up to seven or eight years.

Gophers great amount Enemies: Antelopes, coyotes, foxes, wolves, badgers, hawks, eagles and snakes. It is noteworthy that in adult mammals, the body produces an antidote to snake venom to avoid death.

But one of the most dangerous enemies for them continues to be a man. (Large representatives of individual species are of great interest in the fur trade for the production various kinds fur products: vests, coats, hats and shoes.) Gophers often serve as an object of sport hunting, which is called warming.

Gophers can rightly be called true vegetarians, since the basis of their diet is various modifications of shoots (such as flowers, leaves and bulbs), seeds (maple, hazel, apricots and other angiosperms), berries, acorns, fruits and modifications of the main roots of plants (carrots, radishes and other no less juicy vegetables).

But they are not averse to feasting on delicacies in the form of grasshoppers, worms, beetles, caterpillars, and locusts. Such nutrition significantly enriches the body with such an important building material as protein.

Gophers have two meals a day (the first meal occurs early in the morning, the second - late at night). They eat quickly enough, stuffing their cheeks to the bone (and this expression in this case is not just a saying, because before chewing thoroughly, rodents place their food in the recesses near the mouth, which serve as a kind of bags).

The influence of rodents on human life

  • The fact is that gophers are carriers of very dangerous, and often fatal diseases for humans. For example, brucellosis, plague, and tularemia.
  • Since the main food is the seeds and fruits of plants, often agricultural land becomes a constant source of delicacy for rodents, which is very detrimental to the crop.
  • Gophers are one of the decorative types of domestic animals. With talented training and incredible intelligence of animals, small mammals can even learn to carry out individual commands.

Hopefully in the future people will find more safe means combat the negative impact of ground squirrels on agriculture, and they, in turn, will continue to delight us and our loved ones.

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 zones, 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 species 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 small, up to 20 cm in size, a rodent with 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. European look ground squirrels live in isolated colonies in the 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. It is an important part of the tundra ecosystem.

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 gophers, in addition to plant foods, also eat animal food: eggs of birds and small chicks from ground nests, mouse-like rodents, as well as 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 be playing while another is cleaning or nibbling on 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 gopher 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. In hibernation ground squirrels are found 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. Gophers, like many animals that spend a lot of time underground, have poor eyesight. (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 tooth modifications 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 of crops and garden crops, they are carriers of plague and encephalitis.

33. Gophers have a huge number of enemies: antelopes, coyotes, foxes, wolves, badgers, hawks, eagles and snakes. It is noteworthy that in adult gophers, an antidote to snake venom is produced in the body, which makes it possible 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 the decorative types of domestic animals. 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.

Gophers are numerous and prominent inhabitants of nature, there are 20 species of them. These animals are relatives of squirrels. Ground squirrels - agricultural pests and vectors dangerous diseases. But these animals are valued because of the skins from which they sew fur. Where does the gopher live, in what natural area, read the article.

Description of the animal

The peculiarity of gophers to make sounds when communicating with relatives influenced the name of rodents. The fact is that in translation from the Old Slavonic language "susati" is "hiss". Ground squirrels belong to the family of squirrels, the genus of rodents, the class of mammals. The sizes of gophers are different, it depends on their species. The body of rodents can be 14-40 cm long, and the tail part - 4-25 cm. On average, ground squirrels weigh 190 grams, but there are individuals weighing up to one and a half kilograms.

The front legs are shorter than the hind legs. Sharp claws on the limbs help with burrowing. The head is small, slightly elongated. The lowered ears are short, barely visible from the fur. The lacrimal glands of the eyes are well developed, which is a reliable protection against dust. The body is covered with dense wool, which in summer time always rougher and smaller. In the cold season, the fur is long and very dense.

The color is heterogeneous: the top is dark, the bottom is yellowish-gray. Depending on the species, the back may be covered with light spots. Very rarely the color of the coat on the back is black. Lines of light tone are clearly visible on the sides of the body. In places where the ground squirrel lives, this coloring helps him to disguise himself from enemies.

The presence of animals in the field is easy to determine. Animals stand on their hind legs and squeak. A peculiar whistle informs the family in case of danger or the presence of food.

Life in captivity

Gopher is not customary to breed at home. But in some regions they are sold for this very purpose. There are lovers who consider this animal an exotic pet and keep it at home, teaching the tricks of life in captivity. The ground squirrel is an easily trained animal. He quickly learns to follow simple commands, to walk on a leash. If the animal was bought very small, it will not bite its owner. This can happen when the animal is in danger. This is an affectionate, trusting animal, it quickly becomes attached to a person.

hibernation

Gophers lead by day active image life, which takes place mainly in a mink. There they hibernate. These animals differ from other animals in that they are subject to such a condition not only in the cold season, but also in summer. If a drought occurs where the gopher lives, the animal hibernates due to lack of food. The reason for hibernation of rodents is often an insufficient amount solar lighting. IN winter time The body of animals can not cope with the change of day and night.

Ground squirrels that have climbed into burrows are blocked circadian rhythms. Body temperature during this period drops to almost three degrees below zero. But the blood does not turn into ice, as animals purify it from those impurities that can freeze. According to the physiological state during hibernation, ground squirrels are similar to cold-blooded reptiles. But the length of this period different regions is different.

Where does the gopher live? Habitats can be both southern and northern regions. For example, in the south, the hibernation period is short-lived or absent altogether. In the north it lasts a long time, about six months. The awakening of the animals depends on warming.

Place of residence

Where do gophers live in nature? Traditionally, rodents live in minks. They dig underground passages up to 15 meters long, at the end of which they equip nesting chambers. For their arrangement, dry grass is used. A ground squirrel needs such a nest in order to spend the winter in it in hibernation, spending the fat accumulated over the summer. But even summer, most of it, the animal spends in a mink, hiding from enemies.

Where does the gopher live, in a mink or a hut? These animals live in minks, which are most often dug in sandy soil, since in this case it is much easier to build housing. Clay soil is rarely used unless there is another in the area. The moves along the length in this case are shorter, they are 5-8 meters, not more. Their depth is small, only two meters. The design and dimensions of the dwellings are different. It depends on the species of rodents and the geographical features of the place of residence.

How do they live?

Gophers live in groups. There are more than 20 individuals in each colony, among which the majority are single mothers and their children. Ground squirrels are territorial animals, preferring to live alone in a hole, in last resort two individuals. Sensing danger, they hide in holes, the entrances to which are located close to each other. Burrows on the ground surface can be detected by small mounds. Despite the short life span (in natural environment- only three years) and weak reproduction, the number of ground squirrels in their habitats is huge. The animal leads a terrestrial-underground way of life.

Habitat

Where does the ground squirrel live, in what zone? Animals mostly live in temperate climate zone northern hemisphere. Their largest number is in the zone of steppes, forest-steppes, forest-tundra. Animals also like to populate meadow-steppe zones. The habitats of gophers are characterized by open landscapes, for the most part these are meadows and fields, or rather, their outskirts. In the coastal area of ​​numerous rivers, they settle even in the polar regions, and in the steppe - in deserts and semi-deserts.

Gophers are adventurous animals. In the steppe zone, in order not to overheat in the sun, they cover their heads with their tails. But during the day, when the sun is at its zenith, they hide in holes for a siesta. Belonging to the squirrel family, these rodents are good at climbing trees. Therefore, they often hide from the sun's rays in their crowns. Animal habitats are Asia, Europe, North America. Where do gophers live in Russia? They are found everywhere, but their largest number in our country is noted in the regions of the Volga and Ciscaucasia, since their territories belong to the steppe zone.

Gopher Enemies

Where the gopher lives, danger lies in wait for him everywhere. In the temperate climate zone, there are many wild animals that are not averse to feasting on gophers. These are snakes and foxes, lynxes and wolves, eagles, raccoons, hawks, antelopes, badgers and others. In addition, a man hunts a gopher. In these animals, skins are considered the most valuable.

But these animals are smart and resourceful. They never leave their home unattended. Due to poor eyesight, the animals are on duty on an elevated place, from where both the mink and any movement of the enemy are visible. Inveterate enemies for ground squirrels are snakes that penetrate minks and eat offspring. But the mother protects her cubs, even if she herself is in danger of being bitten. poisonous snake. However, it is not dangerous for a gopher, since the animal has an antidote.

The danger of gophers to humans

These animals do not attack people, but cause a lot of inconvenience. Where the ground squirrel lives, a good harvest of crops can not be expected. Rodents damage plants at all stages of development: from planting to harvest. For workers in this area, gophers are a real disaster, especially if they settle nearby. And this happens often, since these rodents are not afraid of humans. In addition to such mass wrecking, rodents are carriers of various diseases, migrating from one area to another, overcoming great distances. In the event of a mass disease, harmful bacteria migrate with the animals.

Gophers are relatives of squirrels. In total, there are about 20 species of representatives of this genus. These creatures are most common in Asia, Europe, North America. They can be attributed to the most numerous and noticeable inhabitants of the steppe and forest steppe zone.

Description of the gopher

Depending on what species the gopher animal belongs to, it may have different sizes- from small to medium. The body length of this rodent can be from 14 to 40 cm. The length of the tail ranges from 4 to 25 cm.

The front paws of the ground squirrel are slightly shorter than the hind legs. The fourth toe on the forelimbs is longer than the third. Ears - small, short, lowered, slightly protruding from the fur.

The body of the gopher is covered with dense wool. In summer it is a little shorter and rougher than in winter. IN cold period the fur becomes longer and denser. The color of the animal cannot be called uniform: the top is dark, the bottom is yellowish-gray.

Light spots may be present on the back. In rare cases, the color of the rodent's coat on the back can be black. Sometimes there may be red or brown-gray shades. Light lines run along the lateral part of the body, which are outlined by dark lines from the ends.

hibernation gophers

These animals are most active during the day. warm time days, but basically the day of the ground squirrel passes in the hole. It is there that they hibernate, but unlike other animals, they are able to hibernate not only during the period of cold weather, but also, for example, in summer, if a drought period begins, since there is no food.

For example, a long-tailed ground squirrel mink can be up to 3-3.5 meters deep and up to 15-17 meters long. Such a dwelling is being built in sandy soils. Burrows built on clay soils, which are heavier, have a depth of no more than 2 meters, and their length is 5-7 meters.

During the period of hibernation, all vital functions of the creature become weak and slow. The heart does not beat so often, the pulse slows down by 15-20 times, oxygen consumption decreases, and the body temperature drops to 5-9 ° C. In other words, during hibernation, the physiological state of the ground squirrel becomes similar to that of a cold-blooded reptile.

It should be noted that the indicator of the duration of anabiosis of a rodent depends on the climatic and geographical area he dwells. If the gopher lives in southern region, then hibernation may be short-term or absent altogether, and in the northern regions it occurs fully and for a long time. Awakening after hibernation depends on when the warming comes.

Ground squirrel habitat

Basically gophers live in latitudes with temperate climate northern hemisphere. They are most common in forest-steppe, steppe and meadow-steppe zones, as well as in forest-tundra zones. Their habitats are characterized by open landscapes. Along the riverine terrain, they are able to enter even the regions of the Arctic, and along the steppe - in the area of ​​​​deserts and semi-deserts. The animal lives throughout Europe, Asia and North America. It is characterized by ground-underground existence.

Where does the gopher live

Basically, the life of gophers comes down to a burrow pastime, and they dig holes on their own. The design and dimensions of such dwellings differ depending on which species the rodent belongs to, and what geographical feature his territory of residence.

It would seem that factors such as rare breeding and short lifespan put these creatures at a rather disadvantageous position compared to other rodents, such as squirrels, whose numbers are growing much faster. However, in the places where they live, ground squirrels can be found in huge numbers.

The animals live in colonies, equipping their homes with the help of dry grass and leaves. If any enemies of the gophers approach their abode, then the animals located next to the holes immediately hide in them, warning their fellows with a whistle.

Ground squirrel nutritional features

The diet of a rodent includes terrestrial and underground parts of plants that are located near their place of residence. However, it should be noted that not all species of these creatures have a penchant for plant foods, for some it is typical to eat animal food.

Basically, these are various insects. Animals tend to accumulate food, which they store in the pantries of their holes. Usually these are cereal grains and grass seeds.

gopher breeding

After pregnancy, the female gopher gives birth to cubs who lack vision and vegetation on the body. These rodents are able to bring offspring only once a year.

This is due to the fact that at the moment when the cubs grow up and become ready for adulthood, the hibernation period already begins, which this year prevents their further reproduction. By the way, to the question of how many years the gopher lives, it should be noted that their life span is only 3-4 years.

It should be noted that these little rodents are far from harmless. They cause considerable harm to agriculture, causing damage in the steppe zones where farming is carried out. Gophers also act as distributors of all kinds of infectious diseases, such as plague.