The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-21
THE LIVING DREDGE.
Queer ways of That Interesting Lit
tie Animal, the Pocket Gopher.


From the Youths Companion.
A humaR being who should possess a
dwelling half q mile long would be con-
sidered a very important parsonage by
his fellows; but he would have, at that,
an abode only one-half as long as the
dwelling which is often constructed by
very little animal-the creature called
the pocket gopher" in the west and the
"salamander'' in the south. A report on
this little creature, recently issued by the
United States department of agriculture
declares that the burrows dug by a single
animal would, if Strengthened out in
many cases measure more than a mile.
The pocket gopher dig as long as he
lives, extending his burrow from year to
year. He digs all summer, and generally
all winter, for he does not hibernate. He
is probably the completest mechanical
digger in existence. All his life is passed
under ground. except when, for an instant
on rare occasions he energies into the
air to push load of earth from fresh
~ opened hole. But he vanishes below
be said to be seen at all.
Except for one month of the year, the
mating season, all pocket gophers live an
entirely solitary Efei and, like most other
hermits, they are of extremely surly dis
position. They will fight viciously on all
occasions, and they have a remarkably
formidable weapon in their long sharp
front teeth
They are of all living creatures the ones
ground. They are short legged, thick set,
almost neckless without visible ears, and
with extremely small eyes
In tunnelhng in the earth they use their
long and powerful front teeth as pick
to loosen the ground. At the same time
the fore feet, which are armed with long,
curved claws-the side of the toes being
lined with bristles which prevents the
dirt from passing between them-are hard
the dirt back under the body. There the
hind feet take 1t and push it further back.
When earth has been accumulated be-
hind the gopher he whirls about and by
bringing his wrists together under the
chin with the palms of the hands held
vertically, he pushes the earth out in
front.
He will move backward as rapidly as
forward, and can push dirt either way.
His movement in digging often seems as
rapid and automatic as that of a shuttle.
Except in times of deep frost the bur
rows are seldom more than foot under
ground, and generally about six inches.
| The gopher is in pursuit of roots of all
kinds-grass roots, tree roots, potatoes,
and other tubers. He is immensely de-
structive to crops and one gopher has
been known to gnaw away the roots of a
tree so completely that the tree will top
pie over in slight wind and fall fiat.
This is not hard to understand after we
have been assured, as the biologists of the
department of agriculture assure us, that
| pocket gopher can make 200 complete
strokes with his teeth in a minute. Its
jaws are so arranged that thirty-eight
distinct single cuts are made by the for
| by the backward stroke. Thus, as will
| be seen, the little creatures jaws may
make n grand total of 13, 200 cuts minute
| when in active operation!
The pocket gOpher-the name is applied
| to several species of the Geomys tribe
| is. indeed so destructive that in many
! its determination. One Iowa county paid
| $4,000 in such bounties in single year
without an appreciSa,ble reduction Of the
! structiOn of 10000 gOpherS.
At intervals, seldom more than a few
| rods apart, and often within a few feet,
| the pocket gopher comes to the surface
to throw up a little hill of dirt, but the
| opening which he makes is closed by being
| packed so full of dirt that no trace of
the tunnel is visible except the little
The gopher goes on digging in winter as
| well as IN summer but If the frost prevents
! him from coming to the surface he uses
| Il cross section of his tunnel which he has
dug for his new excavations. These tight
| lX packed cylinders of earth are often
| turned up by the farmers pillow.
II, by inadvertence, the pocket gopher
leaves an exit open. the bull snake" is
| very apt TO enter; and If ne does, the go
| piers death is certain. He is covered with
Slime by the serpent and swallowed.
But the weasel is the gopher's chief en-
| envy. The largest weasel easily enter the
| burrow and traverses Il swiftly, and wea-
| sells have cleared a whole section of coun-
| try of pocket gophers when bounties have
| failed
But it is said that even in regions where
| the pocket gophers are most destructive
the weasel is condemned by the farmers
| and killed -mercilessly. This is one in
! lance of many of the slowness of man
kind to recognize friends in the animal
world.
owls and hawks also succeed in captur-
ing many gophers. in spite of the mere
| ly instantaneous appearance of the crea-
lures above the ground.
The GeOmyS has a somewhat extraord-
| mary appendage in the shape of a pouch
on each cheek, in which he stores a little
supply Of food, and which does not, like
the chipmunk's pouch. communicate with
the mouth. 1t is entirely on the outside
and the gopher is obliged to use his paws