The gopher is important information for the message. Small gopher. Gopher: description of the rodent, characteristics and photos. What does a gopher look like?

A small rodent belonging to the Squirrel family. One of the most major representatives this species is a steppe ground squirrel. You can find a photo and description of this animal in many publications about animals, but today we want to talk about it too.

Appearance

An adult ground squirrel has a body length of 25 to 37 cm. This animal weighs up to 1.5 kg. The tail is about 35% of the total body length. You can see a photo of the steppe ground squirrel in our article.

The hind legs of these animals are somewhat longer than the front ones. The main difference between gophers and other rodents is the shape of their ears: they are short and slightly lowered down. Gophers have so-called cheek pouches behind their cheeks.

The coat is short and thick. The color is light yellow interspersed with dark hair. On the sides and belly, the fur is lighter. On the tail there are two stripes - light yellow on the outside, dark yellow on the inside.

Lifestyle

This cute animal lives in semi-deserts in the west of Kazakhstan, in the steppe zone of the Lower Trans-Volga region. V Central Asia prefers to settle in clayey semi-deserts.

The steppe gopher is an animal that prefers a solitary lifestyle. Under favorable conditions, the density of rodents living reaches 8 individuals per hectare. Colonies of animals are located at a distance of several tens, and sometimes even hundreds of kilometers from each other. Each adult has its own feeding area, which it carefully protects.

In Russia, the most common the following types ground squirrels: large and small, as well as speckled. A thin-clawed ground squirrel is also isolated.

Under natural conditions, the steppe gopher lives for 3-4 years. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life.

Life cycle

The steppe gopher hibernates for 9 months a year. In this sense, he is the record holder among all hibernating animals. This period ends at the end of February. Males wake up first, females only after them, and only then young individuals. Immediately after waking up comes mating season... It lasts approximately two weeks.

Females bear cubs for 30 days, small gophers are born in April-May. One brood can have from 4 to 14 cubs. The female feeds the offspring for a little more than a month, then the cubs leave the mother and begin an independent life.

Young individuals begin to dig a hole for themselves on a free mound, the ground there is much softer than on virgin soil. First, an inclined course is dug, which is then clogged with earth from the inside. The vertical passage, which does not reach the surface of the earth a little, is constructed by the animal closer to the onset of hibernation.

The soil that the ground squirrel of the steppe zone throws out from the lower layers to the surface is very important for soil formation. Many experts are sure that thanks to the steppe rodents and ground squirrels, including the southern regions of Russia, are rich in black soil, the most fertile in the world.

With the onset of heat, when the bulk of the vegetation dries up, most gophers move from highlands to lowlands, since the grass cover remains fresh there longer. However, this is not the case in all regions. For example, in Central Asia in hot weather gophers go into summer hibernation.

The enemies of these rodents are various predators, including foxes, wolves, steppe eagles, ferrets.

Steppe gopher: food

This rodent does not have a very varied diet. He prefers plant-based foods. As a rule, these are bulbs and stems of plants, seeds and tubers of cereal crops, of which there are more than 30 species. Before hibernation, the steppe gopher spends almost the whole day in search of food. This is necessary in order to accumulate the necessary fat reserves.

Dwelling

The animal lives in holes, which it builds of several types. There are permanent, "rescue", temporary shelters. The animals live in permanent burrows in winter, in temporary ones - in summer, and the purpose of the "rescue" ones is clear from their name.

The first two types of burrows have two passages and a nesting chamber. Their depth can reach 3 meters in depth, and their length is 7 meters. Rescue burrows are much smaller in size. It is a long, sloping underground passage. In addition, sometimes the gopher can settle in the burrows of the great gerbil.

The steppe gopher is an extremely cautious and secretive animal. When danger approaches, he instantly hides in one of the nearest holes. If he has moved far from his shelters, he lies down on the ground and freezes. Due to the color of the fur, it remains almost invisible on the ground. If this technique does not work, and the danger still persists, it emits a high-pitched loud whistle, which can disorient the enemy for a while.

A typical representative of the Gopher genus can be considered This is one of the smallest animals in the family, its length does not exceed 26 centimeters.

Spotted ground squirrel steppe: a brief description

He has a chiseled large head, a very mobile neck. The eyes are large and round. The legs are short, and the front ones have movable long fingers... The peculiarity of the speckled ground squirrel (however, like the animals described above) is that it has cheek pouches. They are, of course, not as big and roomy as a hamster. But at one time the gopher carries in its bags up to several dozen plant bulbs.

The body color is bright and variegated. Large spots are scattered on the brown back white, this is the mottling, from which the name of the species comes. The spots merge on the head and neck, forming whitish ripples. "Glasses" around the eyes stand out brightly against the background of the cheeks. The tail is decorated with a light border along the very edge. The speckled ground squirrel, unlike many of its relatives, is active during the daytime. It settles in meadows and steppes.

The speckled ground squirrel spends most of its life in an individual burrow. The animal is extremely energetic, but shy. Moving in open areas, it becomes a "post" on its hind legs and looks around. A frightened gopher with a loud whistle warns the neighbors of the danger.

It is not difficult to catch a gopher, but it is much more difficult to accustom him to life in captivity. One can hardly hope that this rodent will turn into a docile and sympathetic pet... Gophers don't get used to people. In addition, their lifestyle is not very suitable for home maintenance. They are active early in the morning and hide in a burrow during the day. In addition, it must be borne in mind that these animals do not have a very pleasant smell.

Quite often, keeping gophers in a cage shortens the life of animals, and sometimes leads to their death. Gophers do not breed in a cage. But if you really want to have this funny animal, then you should keep it in a spacious aviary on fresh air. The only kind that may be suitable for home keeping is the slender ground squirrel. He is distinguished by his funny habits, which are very reminiscent of a squirrel.

There must be a shelter inside the aviary so that your pet can calmly hibernate. Cover the floor of the cage with hay or straw, which should be changed regularly. The gopher needs a drinking bowl.

Surprisingly, the steppe gopher is well adapted to the heat. Interesting Facts scientists report.

• These rodents are not afraid of changes in body temperature up to ten degrees. For comparison, it should be remembered that a person feels unwell when the body temperature changes by half a degree. The habit of sitting in a column helps these animals to avoid heatstroke: the head is located away from the hot soil. But they do not stay in the heat for a long time. The coolness of the burrows and a rare shadow help out.
• The gopher, an inhabitant of the steppes, eats more than 16 kilograms of grass and grain over the summer.
• The small gopher is the most harmful rodent. It spoils pastures, destroys valuable forage plants. In areas of intensive farming, these rodents are exterminated.
• Fighting them preserves the harvest, gives a large number of skins. It should be said that ground squirrels can be carriers of dangerous diseases (plague, brucellosis, etc.).

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

The 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 color of the coat is yellowish-brown, which makes the ground squirrel invisible in arid steppe conditions.

Most of its time, the gopher runs in a burrow 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 prolonged drought.

During hibernation, the heart rate decreases twenty times, and the body temperature of the rodent at this time is only 5-9 ° C. for a short period, or they do not have hibernation.

Photo above - gophers:

Gophers form a colony in which they live in whole families. Several animals constantly stand guard near their burrows. As soon as one of them senses danger, he immediately emits a piercing whistle, and all relatives immediately hide in burrows. To enhance their own safety, gophers arrange their dwelling near marmots, which, when a predator approaches, also give an alarm signal. Gophers hear this signal and quickly hide from the enemy.
Vegetable food predominates in the gopher's diet, but sometimes the animal can eat insects. The 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. The gopher is not afraid of me!

1.Gopher - an animal of the chordate type, the mammals class, the rodent order, the squirrel family, the ground squirrel genus.

2.Gophers or prairie dogs are small and cute rodents with an elongated head, small ears and a funny short tail.

3. The habitat of the gopher is the open landscapes of the entire Northern Hemisphere. There are rodents 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 in the mountains.

4. These animals inhabit steppes, forest-steppe, 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 ground squirrels has 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 (ground squirrel - sandstone), long-tailed ground squirrel (Eversman's gopher) and speckled ground squirrel.

European ground squirrel

6. European (western, gray) ground squirrel is small, up to 20 cm in size, a rodent with a short tail 4-7 cm long and small cheek pouches. The coloration of the back is gray-brownish, often with noticeable yellowish-white ripples or specks. The sides are rusty-yellowish, the belly is 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: steppe ferret, steppe eagle. Due to the sharp decline in the population, the gray gopher was taken under protection in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and is listed in the Red Data Books of Moldova and Ukraine.

9. Russian word"Gopher" comes from the old Slavic "susati", which means "to hiss".

10. The life expectancy of the ground squirrel 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 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, brownish-rusty. The color of the abdomen is bright, pale-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 species of which depends on the season and habitat. It can be wormwood, wheatgrass, clover, bulbous plants, for example, tulips, cereals (rye, wheat, millet, oats), melons, legumes, sunflowers. Also, gophers feed on acorns, young plantings fruit trees(apricots, peaches).

14. Some gophers, in addition to plant food, also eat animals: 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 are predominantly terrestrial in whole colonies. A small "settlement" of 10-12 holes gathers on the surface with the onset of day and everyone takes up their own business. Someone can play, while the other will clean or gnaw the roots of plants, but the slightest hint of danger raises a general commotion and, with a shrill whistle, everyone runs away to their shelter. Once the danger is over, 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 is noticeably different from the reddish sides. The brow ridges and cheeks of the animal are colored red or brown... The big ground squirrel lives in the steppes of Russia and Kazakhstan. This view rodents are agricultural pests and plague pathogens.

17. Most species of ground squirrels breed once a year, some are capable of producing offspring several times. Rut begins immediately after the end of hibernation of rodents, which can last up to 6-8 months.

18.After mating, the female gopher bears offspring for about a month. In a brood there can be from 2 to 12 cubs, 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, which they dig very deeply, but they only use them for a season.

20. Gophers "build" their dwellings in meadows, pastures and between fields. The length of the burrow, as well as its "setting", entirely depend on the habitat landscape and the species of ground squirrel itself. On sandy soils - up to 3 meters deep and 15 meters long, in clay soils - up to 5-7 m. Inside the burrow itself, a nesting chamber is always arranged, which the gopher is covered with dry grass.

Small gopher

21. Small ground squirrel is one of the smallest species of ground squirrels. A short-tailed rodent with a body length of up to 24 cm and a tail less than 4 cm. It is distinguished by a nondescript, earthy-gray or fawn color. Huge populations inhabit the steppes from the Volga, Dnieper and Caucasus mountains, to the coast of the Black, Azov and Caspian seas.

22. Colonies of small ground squirrels mercilessly destroy melons and fodder crops, are carriers of plague, brucellosis and other diseases of epidemiological significance.

23. The sleep of this rodent during hibernation is the most sound sleep in the world. The gopher can even be taken out of the mink, shaken, but he will not wake up. The species of yellow ground squirrels is distinguished by the duration of sleep - it spends as much as 9 months in this state.

24. Gophers communicate with each other using ultrasound, while the human ear picks up a subtle sound, similar to a hoarse whisper.

25. In hibernation gophers are found 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 (mountain Caucasian) ground squirrel is a small animal, with a body up to 24 cm in length and a tail 5 cm. The coloration of the back is gray with a brownish or brownish-yellow tint, shaded with black-brown hairs. It looks like a small gopher, but much more unpretentious to living conditions.

27. Mountain gopher lives on the meadow slopes of Elbrus and the coastal areas of the Kuban and Terek rivers. V Caucasus region considered a major land pest and vector infectious diseases, including the plague.

28. Vision of gophers, like many animals that spend a lot of time underground, is poor. (Therefore, very often they can be seen at various elevations in the immediate vicinity of their burrows.)

29. The gopher's tail has special sensitive endings that allow rodents to orientate themselves very quickly and accurately in numerous underground passages.

30. The jaw of ground squirrels has protruding incisors (like all rodents, they do not have fangs). Such modifications to the teeth allow them to create underground passages without swallowing earth.

Red-cheeked gopher

31. The red-cheeked ground squirrel is a medium-sized rodent, growing up to 28 cm in length, with a tail of 4-6 cm. The coloration of the back and top of the head is from brownish-ocher to gray-ocher. This type of ground squirrel is distinguished by characteristic brown or red spots located on the cheeks.

32.Representatives of the red-faced gopher are common on Siberian plains, in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Animals are characterized as dangerous pests of crops and garden crops, are carriers of plague and encephalitis.

33. Have gophers great amount enemies: antelopes, coyotes, foxes, wolves, badgers, hawks, eagles and snakes. It is noteworthy that in adult gophers, an antidote to snake venom is developed in the body, which allows them to avoid death.

34. If a snake enters the gopher's burrow, the female stands across the aisle and flaps her tail with all her might, trying to look bigger. A mother protecting her offspring is not intimidated by the upcoming fight, and she continues to defend herself, even being bitten by a poisonous snake.

35. The territory of the colony is always guarded by a gopher-sentry, the pose of this gopher resembles a rack. In the event of a person or predator approaching, the animal emits a special signal resembling a squeak. Such a gopher cry warns the flock of danger.

Yellow gopher

36. Yellow ground squirrel (gopher - sandstone) is the largest ground squirrel living in Russia, grows up to 38 cm, average weight is 800 grams. Rodents are distinguished by a yellow-sandy color of the back and poorly developed cheek pouches.

37. The yellow gopher lives in the steppe of the Volga region, Kazakhstan, in the desert landscapes of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Iran.

38.The sandstone gopher is not a serious agricultural pest, it partially carries the plague virus. Prized for its mink-like spring fur and usable lard.

39. Female gophers are caring mothers: while the offspring is growing and gaining strength, the mother digs out separate burrows for them, where the children move.

40. Independent life ground squirrels starts at 4-5 months.

Long-tailed gopher

41. The long-tailed ground squirrel (Eversman's gopher) is a large animal, it grows up to almost 32 cm and is distinguished by its long (up to 16 cm), fluffy tail... The coloration 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. Long-tailed ground squirrels have been found in Siberia, the Trans-Baikal region, Mongolia and China. The gopher is food for foxes, golden eagles, owls, participates in soil formation, and is valued for its fur and fat. Only partially damages crops.

43. Each gopher builds itself a 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, ground squirrels have a barely noticeable auricle.

Speckled gopher

46. ​​The speckled ground squirrel is one of the smallest species of ground squirrels, weighing 500 grams. The length of its body is only 17-26 cm, the tail is 3-5 cm.The coloration of the back is bright and variegated: on the main gray-brownish or brown background, large (up to 6 mm), whitish or yellowish, well-defined specks are scattered, merging into ripples on the back of the head ...

47. The speckled ground squirrel is widespread 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 in the west of Belarus (Novogrudok Upland, Kopyl ridge).

48. Gophers are faithful animals. Most often they choose a couple for life.

49. Gophers are one of the decorative species pets. With talented training and incredible intelligence of animals, small mammals will be able to learn how to perform even individual commands.

50. Role in nature of the gopher as a separate kind, is as follows: by throwing out the soil of the lower layers on the surface, these rodents contribute to soil formation. It is thanks to these animals that the fertile black soil of the south of Russia, the most fertile layer of the earth in the world, was formed.

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 different great variety, sometimes there are gophers with stripes or specks. Gophers have cheek pouches.

Gophers are typical burrowing animals, that is, animals that most spending time in burrows. They lead a colonial lifestyle.

The food of ground squirrels is varied: juicy 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. It's quite interesting to watch them. They are very careful, but as soon as one or two get out of the mink and start frolicking, they are immediately surrounded by dozens of other gophers. And when there is danger, everyone scatters very quickly, and after a moment the clearing becomes empty.

You can often see gophers standing at their burrows, frozen like poles. But if you move, trying to approach them, like gophers emit a piercing whistle and instantly disappear.

Winter sleep

Gophers live in deep burrows that change every season. For the winter, they walled 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, gophers lose a lot of weight, losing almost half of their usual weight. Six months later, they wake up, gradually warm up, go outside and begin an active life.

Pests

Gophers sometimes cause significant damage to orchards and vegetable gardens. They gnaw fruit seedlings at the roots, dig up crops, eat green parts of plants and fruits, trample the beds. Accounted for by flooding burrows and seeding.

Habitat

There are many gophers in 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, the steppes of Central Asia and in the mountains of the North Caucasus.

V recent times the number of gophers in central Russia decreased as a result of plowing and cultivation of the land. The habitat conditions of these rodents changed, and they began to move from here to the northwestern part of the country.

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 zones.

Description of the gopher

Depending on what species the gopher animal belongs to, it can 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 part ranges from 4 to 25 cm.

The front legs of the gopher are slightly shorter than the hind ones. The fourth toe on the forelimbs is longer than the third. Ears - small, short, drooping, slightly visible from the fur.

The body of the ground squirrel is covered with dense wool. In summer, it is slightly shorter and rougher than in winter. V 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 may be black. Sometimes red or brown-gray shades may be present. On the lateral part of the body there are light lines, which are outlined at the ends by dark lines.

Hibernation of gophers

These animals are most active during the day, in the warm time of the day, but basically the day of the gopher is spent in the burrow. They hibernate there, but unlike other animals, they are able to hibernate not only during cold weather, but also, for example, in summer, if a period of drought 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 clayey soils, which are heavier, have a depth of no more than 2 meters, and their length is 5-7 meters.

During the period of winter suspended animation, all vital functions of the creature become weak and slowed down. The heart beats less often, the pulse slows down 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 gopher becomes similar to the state of a cold-blooded reptile.

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

Gopher habitat

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

Where does the gopher live

Basically, the life of gophers is reduced to a burrowing pastime, and they dig holes on their own. The design and dimensions of such dwellings differ depending on what species the rodent belongs to, and what is geographic feature his territory of residence.

It may seem that factors such as rare breeding and short term life, 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, gophers can be found in huge numbers.

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

Gopher nutritional features

The rodent's diet includes ground and underground parts of plants that are located near their place of residence. However, it should be noted that not all types of these creatures have a tendency to plant food, it is common for some to eat animal feed.

These are mainly various insects. Animals tend to accumulate food, which they store in the pantries of their burrows. These are usually cereal grains and grass seeds.

Breeding ground squirrels

After pregnancy, the female gopher gives birth to cubs, which lack vision and vegetation on the body. These rodents are capable of producing offspring only once a year.

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

It should be noted that these small rodents are far from harmless. They do a lot of harm agriculture causing damage in the steppe zones where the economy is conducted. Also, gophers act as distributors of all kinds of infectious diseases, such as plague.