Animals of the steppe zone ground squirrel description. Gopher message. Appearance of an animal called gopher

> Gopher - a representative of the squirrel family, small rodent and a pest of farmland, due to which it sometimes becomes an object of sport hunting, in particular varminting. Targeted shooting is due to the fact that the ground squirrel carries dangerous diseases of cereal 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. In the southern regions, hibernation of gophers is short-term or may be completely absent, in more northern regions it is full and long-term. Exit from hibernation in ground squirrels depends only on the onset of heat.

Types of gophers

There is a very a 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. characteristic of 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, the geographical features of the 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 their 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 eat and 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. Gophers usually use grass seeds and grains for these purposes. 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 cause speckled and small gophers. However, this is not the only reason for sport hunting: ground squirrels pose a threat to the spread of various dangerous infectious diseases- for example, they are carriers of the plague.

Basically gopher hunting is popular because of their delicacy and tasty meat , as well as valuable skins. But its prey is complicated by the fact that this ground squirrel 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:

1. gopher hunting for bait;
2. gopher hunting with traps;
3. 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 an ideal means for luring a gopher out of its 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 aimed shot. With a good scenario and luck, one hunter is able to get more than 10 gophers in this way in a day. 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.

Relations

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Gophers live in the steppes and semi-steppes. These mammalian rodents belong to the squirrel family.

They live in burrows that they dig for themselves. The depth of the hole depends on the type of soil: on sandy soils the depth is 3-4 m, on clayey - 7 m. At the end of the mink, ground squirrels arrange a nest for themselves, covering it with dry grass and leaves.

Eight species of ground squirrels are common in Russia. All of them are different in size and color of the fur. Gophers have a characteristic defense against enemies. With an approaching danger, they stand on their hind legs, freeze in a column and begin to whistle loudly. These rodents feed on plants: seeds, stems, leaves, roots, and insects. AT winter time gophers go into hibernation. Some types of ground squirrels also sleep in the spring due to lack of food.

Gopher females bring offspring once a year, 8-12 babies each. Newborn females feed breast milk, then teach the cubs to search for food themselves.

Ground squirrels are hunted for sports - varminting. Gophers are hunted for valuable fur. And the meat of rodents can be eaten. But you can hunt gophers without weapons, pouring water into the hole. In this case, the animal resists for a long time, plugging its home with its body, like a cork.
Ground squirrels are considered carriers of many diseases and pests of agricultural crops.

Photos of gophers

Gophers are numerous and prominent inhabitants of nature, there are 20 species of them. These animals are relatives of squirrels. Ground squirrels are agricultural pests and carriers of dangerous diseases. But these animals are valued because of the skins from which fur products are sewn. 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 reliable protection from 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

During the day, gophers lead an active lifestyle, 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. Rodent hibernation is often caused by insufficient sunlight. In winter, the body of animals can not cope with the change of day and night.

In ground squirrels that have climbed into minks, circadian rhythms are blocked. 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 nesting chambers are equipped. 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 geographical feature places 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 extreme cases, 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, often sun rays hiding 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 Volga and Ciscaucasia regions, 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.

The ground squirrel is a medium-sized rodent, a representative of squirrels, a pest and carrier of plague, tularemia and brucellosis. Due to the significant harm that this animal can cause to farmland, it is constantly being varminted - sport hunting.

The animal, communicating with its relatives, constantly makes peculiar sounds. It is this feature that formed the basis of the name of a small rodent. In the Old Slavonic language, the word "susati" means "to hiss".

Description of the gopher

The size of the body of the animal varies from 16 to 26 cm, especially large individuals can reach 39 cm. Among ground squirrels, sexual dimorphism is observed: females are always lighter and smaller than males. The mass of rodents can reach 1500 grams, but in most cases the animal weighs about 190 g.

The gopher's hind legs are slightly longer than the front. On the limbs there are sharp strong claws that help rodents dig holes.

The head of the animals is small, elongated. The ears look a little underdeveloped. They are covered with a little fluff. The eyes are small with well developed lacrimal glands. Thanks to this, the cornea is reliably protected from dust.

The structure of the jaw allows rodents to dig holes without swallowing the earth. Some representatives of marmots have well-developed cheek pouches. They enable the animal to carry food into the hole.

The presence of gophers in the field is easy to determine by the whistle. Animals, standing on their hind legs, constantly squeak. Peculiar voice signals are heard first from one side, then from the other. Thus, the family of rodents communicates with each other, informing the representatives of their group about the danger, the availability of food.

Depending on the species, the tail of an animal can be from 4 to 26 cm long. Sometimes it is almost equal in size to the body. The tail of rodents performs a number of functions:

• in the steppe, to prevent overheating, the animal hides behind it like an umbrella;
• in the hole, the gopher feels the walls with it, thus orienting itself in space;
• in winter, a sleeping gopher is covered with it like a blanket.

AT warm time years, the coat of the animal is coarse, short, not thick. By cold weather, it becomes very soft and fluffy. Depending on the habitat, the color of the back of animals also changes. It can be with dark stripes, spotted, sandy, brown, greenish. The abdomen is usually yellowish or white.

How live gophers?

AT vivo no more than three years. As pets, some individuals live up to eight.

Gopher lives in temperate latitudes. It can be found in the forest-tundra and steppes of the Northern Hemisphere. Most often, the rodent prefers to settle in open landscapes.

The animal leads a terrestrial lifestyle. It digs holes on its own, the length of which depends entirely on the soil. So, on sandy lands, it can reach 16 m, on clay soils no more than 8. Inside the hole, there is often a nesting chamber, carefully lined with grass. Where the gopher lives, you can see sand mounds in front of the entrance.

Animals are active during the daytime. They rarely stray far from their burrow. Rodents settle in colonies of 19-29 individuals. Several ground squirrels constantly guard near holes. If they see danger, they immediately give a signal to the rest of the family. To protect their lives, rodents settle not far from animals similar to ground squirrels - marmots. They also carefully monitor the environment and emit signals at the slightest threat. When danger appears, gophers stand on their hind limbs and whistle.

What do gophers eat? Despite the fact that the basis of the diet of rodents is plant foods, their diet varies greatly depending on the species and habitat.

AT highlands the animal feeds on 78 plant species. Of these, 19 are annuals, 49 are perennials, and 7 are semi-shrubs. In the spring, the roots of the Tien Shan onion, dandelions, mountaineer, and tulips enter the diet of the rodent. When greenery appears, the upper shoots of plants are eaten.

In the middle of summer, rodents eat grass and seeds of the Zeravshan small-petal, dandelion, bluegrass, mountaineer, geranium, and holly.

Also, animals eat mushrooms and berries, young branches of willows and dwarf birch. The diet of gophers also includes animal feed: insects, voles, small birds. They do not disdain carrion.

During the experiment, it was found that in the presence of a sufficient amount of food, only lactating and pregnant females ate the corpses of other animals.

Gopher breeding season

After the females awaken from hibernation, the mating season begins. The breeding process is short. mating season lasts about 11 days. However, in some cases, its duration increases to a month.

Females give birth once a year. Their pregnancy lasts 29 days. Cubs are born in May.

There are 3-16 cubs in the litter. But most often the number of cubs does not exceed 9. The number of newborn marmots is in direct proportion to the habitat, a sufficient amount of food.

Lactation in females lasts 33 days. Males do not take part in the upbringing of the young.

Cubs are born blind. Their eyes open 21 days after birth. After 28 days, the young ground squirrel begins to feed on grass and move around. However, he continues to feed on milk. Having strengthened, the juveniles leave the burrows for the first time. After a few days, young gophers begin to look for a home not far from their family.

Small representatives of rodents reach puberty by the next spring. The inhabitants of the northern regions begin to breed only after several hibernations.

In the first year, 69% of juveniles die. This is facilitated by predators, the late onset of spring.

Hibernation in rodents lasts for six months. The ground squirrel sleeps, sitting on its hind limbs, pressing its head against its abdomen and covering itself with its tail. During sleep, the animal loses half its weight. That is why it is so important that the animal accumulates a sufficient amount of fat during the warm season. Otherwise, it may die.

Some time before hibernation, American ground squirrels begin to produce steroids in their bodies. Their number exceeds the average by 199 times. This allows you to increase muscle mass many times over. Experts have found that the adrenal glands help produce this amount of hormones. An interesting fact is that in gophers under the influence of steroids only increases muscle mass, other tissues are not affected by it.

With the onset of cold weather, rodents climb into their holes. There the temperature does not exceed zero degrees.

Winter is a real test for many animals. A sleeping gopher copes with frost thanks to anabolic hormones. During hibernation, the body's metabolism does not stop.

Accumulated fat does not provide the necessary for the vital organs of nutrition. The necessary glucose is synthesized from muscle proteins.

Animals hibernate not only because of the onset of cold weather. Often the reason for this is the lack of sunlight. The body of rodents cannot cope with the winter change of night and day.

Once ground squirrels climb into their burrows, their circadian rhythms are blocked. Their body temperature at this time drops to -3°C. To prevent the blood from turning into ice, rodents cleanse it of all impurities that can freeze.

The duration of sleep of animals depends on the habitat. In the southern regions, hibernation is very short, in the northern regions it lasts up to six months.

Types of gophers

Specialists count 9 species of ground squirrels living in Russia. In other latitudes, there are about 29 of these rodents. The most studied species include:

A small animal with a short tail. The body does not exceed 23 cm. The hair on the back is brown with speckles. Light rings are clearly visible around the eyes. Small cheek pouches.

Gophers live up to Turkey. They nest in small groups of up to 10 individuals.

The burrow has two entrances. Inside are three chambers carefully covered with grass. They are located at a depth of about 90 cm.

The habitat of this species of ground squirrels consists of small isolated areas. The animal is under protection, as it is threatened with extinction.

The body weight of a rodent can reach 790 g, the body length is 39 cm. The sizes of females and males are the same, but the weight of the latter is much larger. The tail is 12 cm long and fluffy.

Depending on the habitat, the size of the animals varies.

The back of the ground squirrel is brownish with light large spots. The head is brown. The belly is bright, fawn. In winter, the skin of the animal becomes light.

The habitat of the animal is Eurasia and North America. Rodents live in families. The number of individuals in them can reach 49.

The body of the animal reaches a length of 31 cm. The tail is 9 cm. The back is brown. The head is grey. big gopher has red sides and paws. In the area of ​​​​the eyes there are spots of an ocher shade.

The big ground squirrel prefers to settle in forb steppes and forest-steppes. Often its burrows are located on roadsides, pastures. They are rarely seen on forest edges. The big ground squirrel never settles on clay soils.

The basis of the diet is bulbs, grass leaves, grains. cereal plants. The big ground squirrel rarely uses animal food. It makes long journeys in search of food.

The big gopher comes out of hibernation in the middle of spring. First, adult males wake up, only then females. Starting in July, the big gopher prepares for hibernation.

Big gopher is a pest cultivated plants. Deals special damage to crops. Because of this, it is exterminated. The big ground squirrel is not a game animal.

The size of the rodent does not exceed 22 cm. This is one of the smallest representatives of the species. The back is light, sometimes with speckles. The soles are bare. There is a slightly pronounced border on the tail.

Habitat from Lake Balkhash to the Dnieper. The northern border is located south of Poltava, the southern border is up to the Crimean mountains. The largest number of rodents is in Kazakhstan.

The animal is active during daylight hours, but when temperatures rise, it seeks refuge in a hole. During drought, it hibernates, sometimes turning into winter sleep.

The basis of the diet is made up of annual wheatgrass, thin-legged, tulip, onion, wormwood.

An animal similar to a small gopher. Length 23 cm. The back is dark, the spotting on it is weak. The belly and sides are grey. Similar to ground squirrels, it was considered a kind of small ground squirrels.

Inhabits the low-mountain meadows of the Caucasus. The burrows are shallow, the nest chamber is small. It feeds mainly on plant foods. There are up to 4 cubs in a litter.

It is a natural carrier of such a dangerous disease as the plague.

Body up to 25 cm. Superciliary and cheek spots of ocher-rusty color. Fur does not change with the change of seasons.

The rodent is common in Siberia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, and Mongolia. Prefers to settle in semi-desert areas and feather grass steppes. On arable land, it rarely digs holes.

Rodents live in families. Each animal has its own territory. Burrows are shallow. Rodents breed in late spring. There are up to 11 cubs in a litter. It feeds on cereals.

The red-cheeked ground squirrel is a carrier of tularemia and plague.

Most big representative kind. The length of the body can reach 38 cm, the tail 11 cm. The back of the steppe ground squirrel is yellow with a small amount of dark hairs. The belly is slightly lighter than the top. Winter fur is very different from summer fur.

The yellow ground squirrel digs long deep burrows. In addition to permanent ones, there are rescue and temporary ones. The nest is lined with leaves and grass. Habitat - loess-sandy deserts, foothill areas, river valleys. Where the rodent lives, the territory always has a diverse landscape. The main food source is tulips and cereals. Doesn't drink water.

The yellow ground squirrel is active in the evening and in the morning. In the heat, he sits in a hole, closing the entrance with a plug of wet sand. Hibernation begins in summer and lasts until the end of winter.

Pregnancy lasts 29 days. There are up to 11 cubs in a litter.

Steppe ground squirrel practically does not harm crops. The rodent is a carrier of tularemia, relapsing tick-borne fever, and plague.

Another name is Eversman's gopher. In animals, unlike other representatives of the species, the auricle is more developed. Body length reaches 31 cm.

The fur in winter is gray, fluffy, thick.

Gophers live in Transbaikalia. There rodents eat 49 species of plants. Animals give preference to legumes. The diet also includes cereals, onions, sedges.

The animal often roams, can travel up to 149 km.

The burrows are complex, they have earthen discharges in front of the entrance. There is a flood protection in front of the nesting chamber, which is a sharply raised passage.

After hibernation, rodents eat very little. Waking up, animals eat sagebrush branches that are not covered with snow. As soon as thawed patches appear, gophers begin to dig up the roots of cereal plants. With the advent of heat and the appearance of fresh greenery, the diet of rodents is enriched with young shoots.

In summer, ground squirrels bite off the top three leaves of the plant. If the stems are very high, then they bend them with their paws. Animals can eat dandelion and lumbago flowers.

AT summer months animals are happy to eat various insects, mice, chicks, mushrooms and berries.

When food is scarce, cases of cannibalism occur.

A small rodent with a short tail. The body does not exceed 21 cm. The back is variegated. In juveniles, the speckles are often arranged in rows. The underside of the head is white. Chest yellow.

Pregnancy lasts 29 days. There are up to 7 cubs in a brood. It feeds on bluegrass, oats, feather grass fescue.

Plague carrier.

Cute outwardly rodent attracts the attention of people who love pets. However, gophers are not well suited for keeping as a pet. It is extremely problematic to tame a rodent. In addition, animals emit a specific unpleasant odor.

Gophers are often used for experiments and observations in laboratories. When breeding rodents are placed in large enclosures in groups. It is best if the cages will be in the open air. Where the gopher lives, it should be cool. In warm rooms, animals do not breed and die soon.

For a pair of rodents, a cage of 1.9 × 1.9 is arranged. The foundation must be high, concrete. All kinds of shelters are located inside the enclosure: pipes, boxes. It should also contain containers with water, logs.

At the end of summer, domestic ground squirrels are placed in an aviary with a large amount of leaves and straw, which are needed as bedding. As soon as the gophers begin to hibernate, the cage is covered with the same material. During suspended animation, animals are kept alone.

With the onset of spring, the females wake up and are ready to mate. After 32 days, cubs are born. It is extremely important, 41 days after birth, to remove them from the cage with the female. Otherwise, the juveniles may be eaten.

At home, it is better to keep thin-toed ground squirrels. They adapt more easily to humans, more calmly endure captivity.

It depends on the diet how long the gophers live. Animal diets should be based on:

• granular feed;
• corn;
• vegetables;
• sunflower;
• corn;
• flour worms;
• gammarus;
• grass;
• fruit.

You can sometimes add beef bones and dog biscuits to the feed. Clover, plantain, dandelion are well eaten by rodents. Hay should be collected away from roads and well dried.

To home pet had no problems with his teeth, branches of pear, apple, willow are placed in his enclosure.

Interesting Facts about gophers:

• When a snake enters a hole, the female gopher stands across the passage and waves its tail. This creates the feeling that it is much larger than its real size. The female protects her cubs even after she is bitten by a snake.
• Juvenile rodents hibernate last, after adult animals.
• The territory where the gopher family lives is always guarded by several individuals. They stand motionless on their hind legs and, if they see a threat, they emit a shrill squeak. It serves as a warning to all other animals.
• Rodents communicate with each other using ultrasound. At the same time, a person distinguishes a barely audible hoarse whisper.
• The sleep of the animal resembles a deep suspended animation. The rodent at this time can be taken out of the hole, but he still will not wake up.
• The yellow gopher can hibernate for up to 9 months.
• Earth emissions at the entrance to the hole are called ground squirrel.
• An animal similar to a gopher lives in the Caucasus. Despite the same phenotype, it belongs to the marmot order. This rodent is a carrier of diseases dangerous to humans.

Ground squirrels live mainly in the steppes and in the forest-steppe zone of Eurasia and North America. On these continents representatives certain types sorts of ground squirrels are found even in the forest-tundra and in the desert.

Gopher is a small animal. Depending on the species, the length of its body, covered with dense wool, ranges from 14 to 40 centimeters. The coat color is yellowish-brown, which makes the ground squirrel invisible in arid steppe conditions.

Most of its time, the gopher lives in a hole lined with dry grass and leaves, the depth of which can be up to three and a half meters, and the length - up to seventeen meters.

A characteristic feature of the ground squirrel is its ability to fall into a state of suspended animation, hibernation, not only in winter, but also in the absence of food during a long drought.

During hibernation, the heart rate decreases twenty times, and the temperature of the rodent's body at this time is only 5-9 ° C. Prolonged hibernation is observed in an animal living in the northern regions, and ground squirrels, inhabitants of more southern latitudes, fall into a state of suspended animation for a short period, or hibernation they lack.

The photo above is gophers:

Gophers form a colony in which they live in whole families. Several animals are constantly on guard near their minks. As soon as one of them senses danger, he immediately emits a piercing whistle, and all relatives immediately hide in minks. To enhance their own security, ground squirrels arrange their dwelling near marmots, which also give an alarm signal when a predator approaches. Gophers hear this signal and quickly hide from the enemy.
The gopher diet is dominated by plant food, but sometimes the animal can eat insects. Gopher is a thrifty owner. In his underground storerooms, he stores grains of cereals and seeds of various herbaceous plants.

Video: Gopher and man - friendship 😉 I stage of negotiations.

Video: 96. Gopher is not afraid of me!