Gopher facts 🐀 Pocket gopher 🦫 endemic to North and Central America скачать в хорошем качестве

Gopher facts 🐀 Pocket gopher 🦫 endemic to North and Central America

Pocket gophers, commonly referred to as just gophers, are burrowing rodents of. The roughly 35 species are all endemic to North and Central America. They are commonly known for their extensive tunneling activities and their ability to destroy farms and gardens. Gophers weigh around 200 g, and are about 15–20 cm in body length. Average lifespans are one to three years. Most gophers have brown fur that often closely matches the color of the soil in which they live. Their most characteristic features are their large cheek pouches, from which the word "pocket" in their name derives. These pouches are fur-lined, can be turned inside out, and extend from the side of the mouth well back onto the shoulders. Gophers have small eyes and a short, hairy tail, which they use to feel around tunnels when they walk backwards. Pocket gophers have often been found to carry external parasites. Common predators of the gopher include weasels, snakes, and hawks. All pocket gophers create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting food back to their burrows. Gophers can collect large hoards. Unlike ground squirrels, gophers do not live in large communities and seldom find themselves above ground. Tunnel entrances can be identified by small piles of loose soil covering the opening. Burrows are in many areas where the soil is softer and easily tunneled. Gophers often visit vegetable gardens, lawns, or farms, as they like moist soil. This has led to their frequent treatment as pests.