Long-tailed gophers are animals of the day, their peak activity begins after sunrise and lasts until noon. During the construction of holes, they throw a large amount of land onto the surface. This process affects the composition of vegetation; it changes significantly where gophers settle.
Appearance
The long-tailed gopher, described below, belongs to the genus of gophers and is a rodent. In this type of gopher, the ears on the head are barely noticeable. This is a rather large animal, having a body length of about 32 cm and a mass of 300 to 500 g. It differs from other species in that it has a fluffy tail more than 15 cm long. In the upper part it is brownish in color, and the villi are black in color at the very ends. The long tail helps the gopher balance on sharp turns. This is a very mobile animal. Small stones, bushes and hollows can easily jump over.
The color of the back is chestnut-buffy with light specks, and the sides and shoulders are red. The belly is bright rusty yellow. Young animals have a plain gray fur with barely noticeable spots. In winter, it becomes more fluffy and thicker. The animal changes its summer coat to winter in August, and vice versa in April.
Long-tailed gopher: 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 blotches.
- Mongolian. Summer fur is dull and pale.
- Zabaikalsky is colored like a gopher of the Altai, but less intense coloring.
- East Transbaikal gopher is larger than previous species. The color is pale.
- Yakutsky reaches a length of 30 cm. The body color is dull and pale.
- The Far East has a body up to 33 cm long, has a shorter tail. The coloration is even paler than that of the Yakut species.
- Kolymsky is a very large animal, body length reaches 45 cm. The color on the head is pale yellow with a reddish tint.
- The Kamchatka gopher is similar to the Kolyma gopher, but has a dimmer color.
- Verkhoyansk is also similar to Kolyma. It differs only in the presence of dirty red tones in the color.
Where does the long-tailed gopher live?
Where do these animals live? They occupy a fairly vast area. They inhabit North America and the entire territory of Eurasia, in the north they can be found in places on the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
Rodents live in the steppes, in forest-steppe and forest-tundra natural zones, but most often they can be found in open areas. They feel great both in the desert and high in the mountains. Animals prefer to choose individual dry hills and islands for housing in river valleys. They feel comfortable on forest lawns and edges, which are covered with dense grass, in deciduous and pine forests. Long-tailed gopher 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 up to one and a half meters. In one hole no more than two individuals live. Gopher prefers to dig in light sandy ground. It has up to three exits and a nesting chamber, which is lined with grass and wool. In inclement weather, all gopher exits are plugged with sand jams. In the hole there are several branches that rodents use to store food supplies and as a restroom. In the assort, which is located in the course going up, a rescue chamber is made. Its long-tailed gopher uses during the spring flood, fleeing flooding.
Gophers can talk among themselves, peeping or squealing. They do this by pressing the forelegs firmly against the chest and standing on their hind legs, that is, in the “column” position. Their loud squeak lasts a few minutes and looks a bit like birdsong.
Gophers have enemies. The first place is occupied by feathered predators, from hawks to eagles. Predatory mammals (wolves, foxes, wild cats) are also not averse to feasting on these rodents.
Self-cleaning and relaxation
From time to time gophers cleanse themselves, just like cats do. They lick wool and gnaw parasites. The forelegs wash the face and tail.
Sometimes the long-tailed lies on the ground, looks at the sun, stretching its paws and experiencing bliss.
Life cycle
Long-tailed gopher spends winter time in hibernation, which begins later than in relatives of other species. Its duration depends on the temperature background and the size of the snow cover.
He begins to hibernate 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 it, at first males emerge from the holes, and after two weeks - females. Juveniles appear last.
Breeding
Long-tailed gopher breeds once a year. In the spring, as soon as the females leave the holes, mating of animals begins. During this period, males have increased activity, they can leave their hole and leave it at a distance of up to two kilometers. At this time, they visit many foreign homes. At the time of rut, males often fight using teeth and claws.
The female’s pregnancy lasts 30 days, 7–8 individuals are born. At almost a month of age, the cubs begin to emerge from the hole and independently obtain their own food. At first, the young adheres to the mother and is at the hole. After 2-3 weeks, young individuals begin to settle. They will be ready for sexual activity in a year, after the next winter hibernation.
Food
The long-tailed gopher feeds mainly on plant foods. In the spring, when there is still no terrestrial part of plants, he gnaws onions and roots, and then, with the appearance of grass, eats stems, shoots, buds and leaves. In autumn, the seeds of cereal crops predominate in his diet.
Gophers adore clover, clover, and beans. One of the goodies is dandelion. They eat insects with pleasure: locusts, various beetles and their larvae, moths. Sometimes chicks and small rodents go to food.
For the winter, rodents make stocks of feed, the weight of which can exceed 6 kg. They collect food in a cheek pouch, where more than 100 cereal grains are placed. Moreover, they place grains of various cultures in different places. All supplies are spent in spring after hibernation.
Benefit and harm
The long-tailed gopher, whose photo is below, has valuable fur. These animals have a smooth, light pile with a colorful pattern. The skins of this rodent are used to make women's outerwear.
Fishing is carried out by traps and loops that are made from horsehair. In addition to skins, gopher fat is also used, it finds its application in folk medicine, as well as for domestic and technical needs.
In the burrows of animals there are always many 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, making holes.
