One of the types of underground rodents, which is widely distributed on the territory of Russia, is a gopher.
She lives underground in burrowsand harms the gardens and farms eating tubers, bulbs and other underground parts of vegetable crops.
Such a way of life unites the mole, gopher and the baby she-fool.
Little Blind: photo and appearance
Little one is underground mammal from the family of hamsters.
It weighs up to 70 grams and length up to 13 cm. The tail is very short - up to 1.7 cm long, which sometimes makes it appear that it is completely absent.
The coat is soft and thick. Coloring on the back from light yellowish tones to dark black-brown. If the mole-darling has a light color, then a small “cap” of a dark shade is surely distinguished on the head.
Coloring tummy almost does not differ in color from the back. The molting process takes place every year, the greatest intensity occurs in August. Females are similar in size to males.
The body of the blind one is perfectly suited for digging passages and tunnels - it is rolling, the neck is short, the front incisors are well developed and the whole musculature of the front part of the body is well developed.
Ears absent, eyes slightly protruding, black color. On each paw are 5 fingers that are not covered with hair. Traces are round.
Bright photo gallery with a little blindfold:
Distribution and reproduction
The little one lives on a wide territory, from the Crimea and the pre-Caucasus to the Altai steppes, as well as in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
The main habitat - steppe, semi-desert, forest-steppe. May settle in the mountains at altitudes up to 4000 meters, where the largest populations are noted.
When building a hole plays the degree of freezing of the earth and the height of the snow cover - severe frosts with a small amount of snow can cause the death of the animal.
In the continuous sands a baby shepherd does not live.
Usually its habitat is an animal. selects places with crumbly earth and rich vegetation cover.
Very rarely can be found in feather grass and wormwood-grassland. In the forests, it prefers the edges of aspen and birch meadows.
Males can construct 2-3 tunnels each that connect its burrow system with the dwellings of females. The baby shepherds breed from March to October.
Pregnancy of females continues approximately 3 weeks. 3-4 litters of 2-4 cubs in each can appear throughout the year.
The ability to breed multiply occurs at the age of 1.5 months.
Lifestyle
The animal usually holds all my life in one place. The reason for migration can be plowing of the land, severe drought, flooding of the area during rains or spring flooding, excessive irrigation of irrigated fields.
It is a daily animal, actively acting throughout the day. Leads life under the ground and only occasionally appears on the surface, usually for a transition to a new territory or release of land.
From above it can cover distances up to 800 meters. Eats underground plant parts., and to obtain them, builds underground holes with a diameter of 4-8 cm and a large extent - up to hundreds of meters.
The blindfly throws out the entire extracted earth to the surface through small holes, as a result of which one can observe a multitude of heaps having a height of up to 35 cm.
Like other underground inhabitants, the animal no surface exits - minks remain open only during the period when the ground is thrown out. Under normal conditions, they are plugged with special earthen plugs.
Nest sites and stockpiles are located at a depth of 1-2 meters under the ground, and the volume of stored products can reach several kilograms.
In one nest, lined with roots and husks of onions, there are up to 10 baby shepherds - adult couple and young animals from one or two last litters.
Distinctive features from other rodents
The main differences from the similar species of rodents are rodent:
- The absence of a middle ridge in the space between the eyes;
- The third upper tooth on both sides has only two rounded corners;
- The shade of fur varies - even animals that live in the same zone may have different colors.
The little dog can be distinguished from a mole rash by a bit smaller size, and more like a big vole.
The little blind penguin differs from the Afghan one by a different structure of the skull, from the promethean vole by the presence of a short tail.
Harm to a man-farmer and ways to fight
During meals damages crops - potatoes, beets, sowing of alfalfa and cotton. Can spoil the young trees, gnawing the roots and bark, walls of irrigation canals, earth storages.
There are no mass protective measures in the fields, since usually the number of animals within one zone is small, in order to bring great damage to agricultural crops.
Seriously affect the reduction of the settlement regular plowing and irrigation.
Conducting the fight against the pest makes it difficult for him to be permanently underground. Usually apply bait with poison (vegetables, alfalfa, clover), which are placed in open burrows.
Works well gas method. Modified mole fishing equipment may be used. On solid ground, the most effective technique is regular abundant watering.
In addition, infectious diseases and parasites limit the number of animals, flooding holes in the spring with water from melting snow.
Conclusion
Little girl - mammal pestcommon in much of Russia, as well as in the countries of Central Asia.
He lives mostly underground, where he builds long maze moves. It feeds on the underground part of the plants, including agricultural crops - potatoes, beetroot and others.
The most effective measure against the blind one is plowing the fields and abundant watering.. Mass protective measures are not carried out because of the small number of animals in a single area.
