Long-tailed ground squirrels are diurnal animals, their peak activity begins after sunrise and lasts until noon. During the construction of holes, they throw a large amount of earth to the surface. This process affects the composition of vegetation, it changes significantly where ground squirrels settle.
Appearance
The long-tailed ground squirrel, described below, belongs to the gopher genus and is a rodent. In this type of ground squirrel, the ears on the head are barely visible. This is a rather large animal, having a body length of about 32 cm and a weight of 300 to 500 g. It differs from other species in that it has a fluffy tail more than 15 cm long. It is brownish in the upper part, and black at the very tips of the villi. The long tail helps the ground squirrel balance on tight turns. This is a very mobile animal. Can easily jump over small rocks, bushes and hollows.
The color of the back is chestnut-ocher with light specks, and the sides and shoulders are red. The belly is a bright rusty-yellow color. Young animals have plain gray furwith barely visible spots. In winter, it becomes more fluffy and dense. The animal changes its summer coat for a winter coat in August, and vice versa in April.
Long-tailed ground squirrel: species
There are several types of rodents:
- Altai has a body length of 21 to 26 cm. In summer, the fur of this animal is the most intense dark color with red splashes.
- Mongolian. Summer fur is dull and pale.
- Zabaikalsky has a color similar to the Altai ground squirrel, but less intense coloration.
- East Transbaikal ground squirrel is larger than the previous species. Pale color.
- Yakutian reaches a length of 30 cm. The color of the body is dull and pale.
- Far Eastern has a body length of up to 33 cm, has a shorter tail. The coloration is even paler than that of the Yakut species.
- Kolyma is a very large animal, the body length reaches 45 cm. The color on the head is pale yellow with a reddish tint.
- Kamchatka ground squirrel is similar to Kolyma ground squirrel, but has a duller coloration.
- Verkhoyansky is also similar to Kolyma. It differs only in the presence of dirty red tones in the color.
Where the long-tailed ground squirrel lives
Where do these animals live? They occupy a fairly large area. They inhabit North America and the entire territory of Eurasia; in the north, in some places they can be found on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
Rodents live in the steppes, in the forest-steppe and forest-tundra natural zones, but most often they can be found in openplots. They feel great both in the desert and high in the mountains. Animals prefer to choose separate dry hills and islands for housing in river valleys. They feel comfortable on forest lawns and forest edges, which are covered with thick grass, in deciduous and pine forests. The long-tailed ground squirrel is not afraid of people, so it can live near crops or on the side of the road.
Lifestyle
These animals live in colonies. For housing, gophers dig long, sometimes up to 15 m, tunnels, the depth of which can reach one and a half meters. No more than two individuals live in one hole. Gopher prefers to dig housing in light sandy soil. It has up to three exits and a nesting chamber lined with grass and wool. In inclement weather, gophers plug all exits with sand plugs. There are several branches in the hole, which rodents use to store food supplies and as a latrine. In the retract, which is located in the course going up, a rescue chamber is made. Its long-tailed ground squirrel uses it during spring floods to escape flooding.
Gophers can talk to each other by clattering or squeaking. They do this by pressing their front paws tightly to their chest and standing on their hind legs, that is, in the “column” position. Their loud squeak lasts for several minutes and is a bit like birdsong.
Gophers also have enemies. The first place is occupied by raptors, ranging from hawks to eagles. Predatory mammals (wolves, foxes, wild cats) are also not averse to eating these rodents.
Self-purification and relaxation
From time to time, gophers clean themselves, just like cats do. They lick their fur and gnaw out parasites. The front paws wash the muzzle and tail.
Sometimes the long-tail lies on the ground, looks at the sun, stretching its paws and feeling bliss.
Life cycle
The long-tailed ground squirrel spends winter time in hibernation, which begins later than in relatives of other species. Its duration depends on the temperature background and the amount of snow cover.
He starts hibernating from late September to mid-October, and wakes up from March to April. The duration of hibernation in different regions averages 7–8 months. After her, at first, males emerge from the holes, and after two weeks - females. Juveniles appear last.
Reproduction
The long-tailed ground squirrel breeds once a year. In the spring, as soon as the females emerge from their burrows, mating begins. During this period, males have increased activity, they can leave their hole and go away from it for a distance of up to two kilometers. At this time, they visit many other people's homes. During the rut, males often fight using their teeth and claws.
Female pregnancy lasts 30 days, 7-8 individuals are born. Almost at the age of one month, the cubs begin to leave the hole and independently get their own food. Initially, the young adhere to the mother and are at the hole. After 2-3 weeks, young individuals begin to settle. They will be ready for sexual life in a year,after another winter hibernation.
Food
The long-tailed ground squirrel feeds mainly on plant foods. In the spring, when there is still no ground part of the plants, it gnaws on bulbs and roots, and then, with the advent of grass, it eats stems, shoots, buds and leaves. In autumn, cereal seeds dominate in his diet.
Gophers love clover, sweet clover, beans. One of the treats is dandelion. They are happy to eat insects: locusts, various beetles and their larvae, moths. Sometimes chicks and small rodents are eaten.
For the winter, rodents make stocks of feed, the weight of which can exceed 6 kg. They collect food in a cheek pouch, which holds more than 100 cereal grains. Moreover, they place grains of different crops in different places. All supplies are consumed in the spring after hibernation.
Benefits and harms
The long-tailed gopher, whose photo is below, has valuable fur. These animals have an even light pile with a colorful pattern. The skins of this rodent are used to make outerwear for women.
Commercial trapping is carried out with traps and loops made from horsehair. In addition to the skins, gopher fat is also used; it finds its application in traditional medicine, as well as for domestic and technical needs.
In the burrows of animals there are always a lot of fleas and ticks that infect them with dangerous diseases. Thus, the long-tailed rodent is one of the main natural carriers of the plague pathogen,brucellosis. In addition, these animals cause great damage to agriculture. Each gopher during the summer period can exterminate up to 10 kg of grain, spoil pastures, arranging holes.
Strange Facts
Scientists have found that gophers hibernate due to the production of a special substance - adenosine. If you block the production of this substance, the mechanism of hibernation in ground squirrels will be disrupted. Adenosine has also been found in humans. After studying the entire hibernation process of gophers, scientists came to the conclusion that by controlling the level of adenosine, humans will have a chance to normalize heart rhythm and blood flow. These long-tailed gophers are such interesting rodents.
