Gophers

Body length 14-40 cm, tail 4-25 cm (usually less than half the body length). The hind limbs are slightly longer than the front. Ears are short, slightly pubescent. The color of the back is very diverse - from green to purple. Often there is a dark ripple on the back, longitudinal dark stripes, light streaks or small specks. On the sides of the body can pass light stripes. The belly is usually dirty yellow or whitish. By winter, the gopher's fur becomes soft and thick; in summer, it is less, shorter and rougher. There are cheek pouches. Nipples from 4 to 6 pairs .

Gophers are widespread in the steppe , forest-steppe , meadow-steppe and forest-tundra landscapes of temperate latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Characteristic for open landscapes. In meadow sections of river valleys go beyond the Arctic Circle , and in steppe sections - in semi-deserts and even deserts; on mountain steppes they rise into the mountains to an altitude of 3500 m above sea level. Ground-based lifestyle; live in colonies, in holes that they dig themselves. The length of the hole and its structure depend on the type of gopher and the specific landscape. On sandy soils they are the longest - up to 15 m in length and 3 m in depth; on denser clay soils, it is seldom longer than 5–7 m. Inside the hole there usually is a nesting chamber covered with dry grass. Gophers are known for their habit of standing on their hind legs in danger and making characteristic whistling sounds.

Ground squirrels feed on the aboveground and underground parts of plants, always near the burrows. Some species consume animal feed, usually insects . Significant food reserves are made from seeds of herbaceous plants and cereal grains. Active in the morning and evening hours; the day is mainly spent in burrows. During the cold season, they fall into hibernation, the duration and time frame of which is highly dependent on geographical location. Along with winter hibernation, a number of species also have summer hibernation associated with a lack of feed.

The gopher's goning usually begins a few days after waking up from hibernation. The female brings 1 brood per year. The number of cubs in it ranges from 2 to 12. The duration of pregnancy is approximately 23–28 days.

Large species of ground squirrels are of some importance in the fur trade. They can also be the objects of special sports hunting - warming .

Many species are serious pests of grain crops and natural carriers of pathogens of a number of diseases ( plague , tularemia , brucellosis ). Gopher fossils are known from the Miocene .

There are 38 species of ground squirrels, of which 9 are in Russia. The most common: speckled gopher , small gopher , yellow gopher and long-tailed gopher ^[1] .