Who is a gopher? Where does he live? What does a ground squirrel eat? If you are interested in knowing the answers to such questions, then read this article.
Description
Gopher is a small mammal of the order of rodents of the squirrel family. There are about 40 species of this animal on earth. They differ in body size from 15 to 40 cm, of which the tail occupies half of the entire length. Colors are different (from green to purple, with various stripes or spots along the back). These rodents live in large colonies.
As a rule, they live in one family in dug holes, the length of which varies from 5 to 20 meters, depending on the type of soil. Burrows each ground squirrel digs for himself independently, females have deeper dwellings, males have less. Often these animals, after hibernation, occupy unoccupied shelters and gradually deepen them.
Each hole has a special room, insulated with hay, straw and leaves, in which the animal remains for hibernation until spring. That's where all the food is stored. Her gophers eat the entire period of sleep. During wintering, all passages leading to this room are closed, and a small depression is made by the animal upwards. In the spring, the rodent makes an exit vertically upwards. It is typical for all types of gophers to stock up on largevolumes of provisions during hibernation. It is noteworthy that this species of mammals hibernates not only in winter during cold weather and lack of food, but also in summer during drought, especially rodents living in desert areas. But, for example, the Arctic gopher is in a state of hibernation for up to nine months a year.
Hibernation
The state of torpor or hibernation in these animals is a unique phenomenon that many scientists still cannot unravel. Experts, for example, cannot understand how gophers manage to maintain the body under the following conditions:
- Their body temperature drops to -3 degrees.
- The frequency of the heartbeat is from one to five times per minute.
- Breathing is variable from a series of ten breaths and exhalations to an hour break.
The hibernation period is interrupted by rare awakenings to warm up the limbs, defecate and consume food.
Lifespan and some other characteristics
In a state of activity, the body temperature of the gopher is about forty degrees, the pulse is more than 350 beats per minute, the respiratory rate is more than 200 times. Life expectancy is quite short and, depending on the variety, does not exceed five years.
Reproduction and nutrition
Females in late April-early May bring from 3 to 8 cubs, which are gestated for about a month. A distinctive feature of the female is the presence of four to six pairs of nipples. By autumn cubsare already independent enough to dig their own hibernation holes and prepare the necessary supplies of provisions. Animals reach puberty in the spring during the rut.
Juveniles are the last to hibernate, just after adult males and females have given birth, as they barely have time to accumulate the required amount of fat. In years when early frosts come, many rodents die.
Gophers: what do they eat during the cold season?
Now let's look into this issue in detail. What does a ground squirrel eat in cold weather in order to withstand such enormous loads on the body? The main part of the diet is plant foods. What do gophers eat in the steppe? These animals consume tubers, stems, seeds, cereals, that is, the entire plant. Food is harvested within the same territory, which is fiercely marked and guarded by its owner.
What do gophers eat in the steppe? Some species of these rodents, in addition to plant foods, eat insects, frogs and other small animals that they can catch. This way of eating allows gophers to accumulate brown fat, which is unique in that it freezes only at -18 degrees.
Its share in the body of a gopher can be up to 80% of body weight. Before hibernation, rodents devote the whole day to searching for food. An individual can live for one month without food. Therefore, you need to think about food in advance.
Keeping gophers at home: where to house and what to feed?
Gopher is not quite a suitable animal to keep incaptivity for several reasons:
- He is nocturnal, so he won't be seen very often.
- This is a wild animal that is reluctant to make contact with a person, it is uncommunicative, prefers to hide in its hole or house. If the decision to start a gopher has already been made, then it is best to start the most adapted to captivity and friendly thin-toed representative of the species.
- You will have to clean its cage often, the urine of this animal has a specific bright smell, which sharply hits the nose, especially for those who are not used to this person.
- Does not breed in warm home conditions and most likely will not live until spring, as nature has laid down the state of suspended animation in a cold environment in winter.
- The cage for one animal should be 0.5 by 1 meter in size and increased by 1.5 times for each new inhabitant. The cage must be strong enough so that it cannot be gnawed through. It is also necessary to provide the animal with hay and straw to warm the house, wooden sticks from willow, hazel, apple and other crops to grind down constantly growing teeth, come up with various tunnels, labyrinths and boxes so that the gopher can lead an active lifestyle, as in the wild. It is best to keep the animal on the street in a specially designated area or in an aviary; before placing the rodent, it is necessary to concrete the floor. When growing an animal in an aquarium, it is necessary to provide a metal grate on top, tightly attached to the walls, bouncing, the animalcan grab hold of the aquarium and climb out.
- Be careful when you clean the cage or feed the pet, you can use additional tools during cleaning, such as a high jar that will be difficult to get out of, or a special ball for hamsters. Do not leave your pet unattended!
- Drinking water must be clean!
Feeding
At home, the animal eats various crops that form the basis of its daily diet. What does a ground squirrel eat? What can be given to animals at home? First of all, these are succulent grasses growing near holes, various cereal crops. It can be wheat, oats and others, sunflowers that have matured and are in milk maturity or seeds from them, beets, carrots, bread.
You can also purchase specially formulated mixes for ground squirrels or other rodents at the pet store. Depending on the species of these mammals, you can indulge your pet with mealworms, just make sure they actually consume insects in the wild. When buying a pet in a pet store, it is best to consult the seller about what the ground squirrel of this species eats and what should not be added to the rodent's diet.
Conclusion
Now you know what a gopher is. This is a very interesting animal that hibernates and not only in winter. We also told you what the animal eats in nature and what should be the food of gophers at home.
