The squirrel eats in the wilderness?

Who is gopher?Where he lives?The gopher eats?If you want to know the answers to these questions, then read this article.

Description

Gopher - a small mammal rodent squirrel family.On the ground, there are about 40 species of this animal.They differ in body size of 15 to 40 cm, the tail of which occupies half the entire length.Colors are different (from green to purple, with a variety of stripes or spots along the back).These rodents live in large colonies.

Typically, one family live in burrows dug, the length of which varies from 5 to 20 meters, depending on the soil type.Nora every gopher digs yourself alone, females deeper dwelling males less.Often these animals after hibernation take nobody occupied their refuge and gradually deepen.

Each hole has a special room, insulated with hay, straw and leaves, in which the animal remains in hibernation until spring.There pulling off all food supplies.Its ground squirrels eat the entire period of sleep.During the winter all the passages leading into the room, closed and made up a small hollow beast.In the spring of rodent is doing output vertically.All types of gophers characterized by stocking large amounts of provisions for the period of hibernation.It is noteworthy that this type of mammals lies in hibernation, not only during the winter cold and lack of food, but in the summer during the drought, especially rodents living in the desert areas.Here, for example, arctic ground squirrel is able to sleep up to nine months of the year.

Hibernation

state of torpor or hibernation these animals is a unique phenomenon that many scientists still can not solve.Experts, for example, can not understand how the body manages to keep gophers under the following conditions:

1. their body temperature falls to -3 degrees.
2. Frequency of heartbeat - from one to five times per minute.
3. breath is variable character from the series consisting of ten breaths, hour break up.

period of hibernation is interrupted for occasional revivals warm extremities, emptying and food intake.

life expectancy and some other characteristics

into an active body temperature gopher about forty degrees, the pulse 350 beats per minute, respiratory rate more than 200 times.Lifespan is small enough and, depending on the species, not more than five years.

breeding and feeding

females in late April-early May bring 3 to 8 pups, which are hatching about a month.A distinctive feature is the presence of females from four to six pairs of nipples.By autumn Young already independent enough to dig a hole for themselves their own sleep and prepare the necessary supplies of provisions.Animals reach sexual maturity in the spring during the rut.

Juveniles fall into hibernation last, just after the adult males and females who have given birth, as barely have time to accumulate the required amount of fat.In the years when early frosts come, killed many of the rodents.

Gophers: what to eat during the cold weather?

now thoroughly examined the question.The squirrel eats in the cold to withstand such enormous strain on the body?The main share of the diet are plant feed.The squirrels eat in the wilderness?These animals consume the tubers, stems, seeds, cereals, ie the whole plant.Production of power takes place within the same territory, which fiercely protects its marks and host.

The squirrels eat in the wilderness?Some species of rodents, in addition to plant foods, eat insects, frogs and other small creatures that can catch.This way of eating allows you to store brown fat ground squirrels, unique in that it only freezes at -18 degrees.

Share it in the body of a gopher can be up to 80% of body weight.Before hibernation rodents devote a whole day looking for food.Absolutely no food individual can live a month.So you need to think of ways nutrition.

Content gophers at home: Where to stay and what to feed?

Gopher - not the right pet for captivity for several reasons:

1. is nocturnal, so you can see it is not very often.
2. This is a wild animal, which is reluctant to contact with a person, it is unsociable, he prefers to hide in their den or home.If the decision of the institution gopher has been taken, it is best to start the fittest captive clawed and friendly member of the species.
3. will often clean his cage, the urine of the animal has a specific bright scent that the island "a slap in the nose," especially not accustomed to this man.
4. in warm home is not propagated and is not likely to survive until spring, since nature has being in a state of suspended animation in a cold environment during the winter.
5. cell per animal should be the size of 0.5 to 1 meter on each new residents increased 1.5 times.The cage must be strong enough to not get it to gnaw.It is also necessary to ensure animal hay and straw for insulation of the house, wooden sticks of willow, hazel, apple trees and other crops for grinding is constantly growing teeth, think of different tunnels, mazes and boxes to the gopher could lead an active life as in the wild.It is best to keep the animal in the street at a designated area or in an enclosure, before placing the rodent must be concreted floor.When growing animal in the aquarium is necessary to provide a metal grate on top, tightly fixed to the walls, bouncing animal can grasp the aquarium and climb out.
6. Be careful when you wash the cage and feed the pet, you can use additional tools for cleaning, for example, a high bank, from which it will be difficult to get out, or a special ball for hamsters.Do not leave your pet unattended!
7. Drinking water should be clean!

Feeding

At home, the animal eats a variety of crops that are the foundation of his daily diet.The gopher eats?What can give the little animals in the home?First of all, it is juicy grass growing near the dens, various cereals.This may be wheat, oats and others, and are matured in breast maturity or seeds from sunflowers them, beets, carrots, bread.

can also be purchased at a pet store specifically designed for a mixture of ground squirrels or other rodents.Depending on the species of these mammals can be pampered pet mealworms, just make sure that in the wild they do consume insects.When buying a pet from a pet store is best to consult the seller on what the gopher eats this kind, and that can not be added to the diet of rodents.

Conclusion Now that you know who the gopher.This is an interesting animal, which becomes dormant and not only in winter.We also told you what to eat animal in nature, and what should be the power ground squirrels in the home.