Meet the Evrazhka! …KAMCHATKA September 19th, 2013

The further into the tundra, the more eurasians...
Meet the gopher! More precisely, the Beringian (or American long-tailed) ground squirrel (lat. Spermophilus
parryi). To put it simply, it’s a eurazhka.
0.

Evrazhka belongs to the largest ground squirrels. Their weight can reach 700-800 g. Males and females are approximately the same size, but males are heavier. The tail is fluffy and long, up to 13 cm, making up about 40% of the body length.
1.

Eurasians are well-fed “gentlemen” in a fluffy reddish fur coat with a pattern of large light spots on the back and a lighter fawn-rusty one on the always tightly stuffed belly.
2.

These eurasians, which I saw on a plateau among the volcanoes of the Klyuchevskaya group, were enjoying life, basking on lava stones heated by the sun: there were only a few days left until the time came for them to fall into a months-long hibernation.
3.

These animals probably had a motion detector built into them: they reacted not so much to me as to my movements. At my slightest movement, they instantly disappeared, hiding among the stones and grass, but soon appeared again, intensely peering into the distance. They looked me straight in the eyes, but it seemed to me that they did not see me: I sat motionless literally two meters from them, admiring them.
4.

5.

Here, on this plateau, there were many eurasians; they were busily scurrying about in the grass, stocking up on food for the long winter. All members of our group were able to enjoy watching these funny little animals. But in the region of the Mutnovsky volcano, where we were a few days later, more accessible to people, no matter how hard I tried, I could not see a single eurasian eurasian: they had either already gone into hibernation, or, what seems more likely to me, became the prey of hunters.

FOR REFERENCE:
Evrazhka is a resident of open landscapes: it settles in meadow and steppe areas, in the tundra on the slopes of hills, it can live in clearings and forest edges, among thickets of polar birch and dwarf cedar. Lives in colonies of 5-50 individuals.
Eurasians dig burrows with many underground passages, bringing soil from the lower layers of the soil to the surface, helping to loosen the soil and transfer plant seeds, thereby playing an important role in the life of the tundra. Typically, a burrow consists of a main passage and burrows, a nesting chamber lined with lichens, leaves and wool, and a pantry. The depth of the burrows can reach 3 meters, and the length - 15 meters.
The Eurasian is almost omnivorous. Before hibernation, it begins to intensively eat underground parts of plants (rhizomes, bulbs), and is very fond of berries (lingonberries, blueberries, crowberries), as well as mushrooms and shoots of bushes. Due to the cold climate, animal food plays a significant role in the Eurasian Eurasian's diet - it regularly eats fillies, ground beetles, and caterpillars.
In the second half of summer, the Eurasian eurasian begins to store food: the fruits of tundra shrubs, dry grass, leaves. These reserves are used not in winter, but in spring - after awakening, when the food supply is still scarce.
The most important feature of Eurasians is hibernation, which lasts up to 7.5-8 months. (Eurasians, by the way, can serve as an indicator of natural climate changes: they hibernate only at sub-zero temperatures). Eurasians go into hibernation when snow falls - in late August - early September. These animals sleep at sub-zero temperatures - in their nests the temperature in winter drops to -3...-5°C. At the same time, the body temperature of the animal itself decreases to +10 °C. Their survival in such a situation is ensured by the peculiarities of fat deposition. During hibernation, animals lose up to 30-40% of their weight.
Eurasians awaken and come to the surface in April-May, when there is still permanent snow cover.
Eurasian eurasian breeds once a year. Pregnancy lasts 25 days. Eurasian female families have many children - there are up to 10 cubs in a litter, which are born in late May - early June. Children grow by leaps and bounds; after a month and a half it is already difficult to distinguish young animals from adults. To feed the family, the Eurasian father has to bring a lot of roots and young shoots into the house for the Eurasian mother.
The life expectancy of Eurasians is usually no more than 3 years.

Sources of additional information:
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%91%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0 %BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D1%81%D1%83%D1%81%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0% , http://lglusi.ru/far-east/priroda-dikaya- i-ne-ochen/fauna/evrazhki

My stories about Kamchatka:

Still, what strange thing memory, sometimes it throws such somersaults... Well, I’ve never been to Kamchatka before! And, to be honest, I didn’t know much about her. But then someone nearby said: “European woman.” It’s strange, but this funny word seems so familiar to me! And I remembered... Meanwhile, Roma and his family were already waiting for us. Happy Katyusha was twirling before the noses of the younger members of her friends’ family the commemorative piece of paper she had just received, solemnly called the Kamchatka Traveler’s Certificate. And I listened to my inner barometer.

Usually I am distrustful of a new place; I first need to “stomp on it”, determine the sensations that it evokes. Here everything turned out differently. Perhaps the reason was the quick change of scenery, or perhaps the boundless cordiality of Roman and his wife Lena, but I, and what’s more, we all, immediately liked it here.

World's best breakfast

We were assigned to stay in the empty summer apartment of the mother of one of our friends, handed the keys and wished good night. I usually have a very hard time adjusting to new times. For example, after returning from Thailand, I jump up at four in the morning for a week, and fall down exhausted at eight in the evening. And now, when night has come to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, and in Moscow the morning paints the walls of the ancient Kremlin with a gentle light, my rebellious body, having forgotten about the disruption of biorhythms, does not rebel at all. This is something amazing!

The morning came to the ringing of bells - in front of our five-story building, the domes of a beautiful Orthodox church were burning in the bright sun. Outside the window it is the height of sunny summer - also unusual for the inhabitants of the peninsula, accustomed to chilly weather. This was followed by a magical Kamchatka-style breakfast: Kamchatka crab, sandwiches with red caviar and coffee.

I am not a statesman, and I feel incredibly sorry when confiscated food is destroyed instead of giving it to those in need. What can we say when tons of Kamchatka caviar, whose place is on a fresh slice, is sent into oblivion? white bread With butter.

It is especially impressive when the perpetrators of the extermination action eat this delicacy - “illegally obtained and potentially posing a threat to life and health” - with appetite right on camera, without fear of any poisoning.

The miracle of the “imprinting” effect

How I loved fairy tales as a child! I even signed up for the library for them. Russian Bulgarian, Moldovan Italian... And once they gave me the book “Tales of the Peoples of the North”. Heavy, bound in gray fabric. I took it in my hands, anticipating a miracle.

But no miracle happened - unpronounceable names, strange clothes of the heroes, dubious treats made from bearded seal fat. Ingenuous fairy tales did not indulge in intricacies and plot twists: sometimes some animals successfully fooled others, sometimes some women sailing in strange leather boats had the time to give birth at the most inopportune moment...

As I now think, these fairy tales were simply “unkempt,” that is, not adapted for children. With a sigh, I put the gray book on the far shelf, never to open it again, while looking tenderly at my favorite “Tales of Golden Prague.” This is a really cool book, where are the northerners before them...

But a well-known in psychology, but nevertheless mysterious mechanism of “imprinting” information worked, mystically selecting from the entire thick book a single eurasian and recording the name of this animal somewhere in the distant recesses of memory.

Meet the nominated animal, Eurasian

...I unpack my bag and sadly go through the entire meager set of our summer luggage. Today Roman and Lena are taking us to get to know the wonderful Kamchatka region better. It was then that this word was uttered - evrazhka. Here he is in the photo. Cute little animal, isn't it?

It turns out that my childhood imprinting in its real form is a very nice animal that loves rye crackers. We stocked up on bags for treats and went to visit the Eurasians.

There is a land far, far away...

I wanted to look at them without stopping. Dark cones of real volcanoes with white bald spots rose into the sky: Koryakskaya Sopka - 3456 meters, Avachinsky volcano - 2751 m, as well as the smallest of them and the long-extinct Kozelsky volcano with a height of 2189 m. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky they are visible from almost anywhere, they seem to strangely grow straight out of city blocks.

The townspeople call the volcanoes “home” and usually do not notice them.

Guys, you don’t appreciate the beauty in the midst of which you live! But this is the property of the brain: unchangeable things cannot be perceived. Yes, this is good: otherwise, the townspeople would freeze with delight all day long along with the visitors, instead of working hard.

The tradition is not so old - it has only been going on since 2010, but it has quickly become a favorite: in August the entire peninsula celebrates Volcano Day. Then, at the foot of two giants - Kozelsky and Avachinsky, all the townspeople who are able to walk gather for mass educational, entertainment and sports events. Crowds of young people, families with children, elderly people, city guests, lovers of active tourism, who specially planned their arrival for the holiday. And everyone finds something to their liking...

The road to where the Eurasian ground squirrel lives

From the outskirts of the city of Elizovo our path lies to the spurs of the Avachinsky volcano. We rushed past the bear monument again. We watched them for a long time, anxiously hoping that the bears would not become a missed opportunity for our journey.

And it’s true - later we saw enough of them, and soon there will be a story about clubfooted ones. In the meantime, our friends smiled knowingly, transporting us to less dangerous, but no less interesting objects for observation.

There is a lot of chatter in the car, we are driving along a dry river bed, in which water appears only during the period when the ice melts. Riding over chunks of lava and volcanic sand is a task for strong arms and hardy butts, but it's worth it.

On the way we stop near a snowfield. This is such a contrast - heat, bright sun and pure snow. True adrenaline connoisseurs ride along it, skidding, to the frantic pounding of their hearts. The snow does not have time to melt completely even during the whole summer! It is now the end of July, and the white deposits are falling through in places. They left the snowballs cheerfully, having received their portion of the outburst of emotions.

The winding climb is very beautiful - low birch trees give way to thickets of bushes and a plush cover of alder and cedar dwarf trees. The local “alpine meadows” with flower stars begin - the most European territory.

Avacha rises before us.

At its foot there is a camp site where those wishing to climb the Avacha Pass spend the night. Somewhere behind it, one of the two existing hiking trails to Nalychevsky Park begins...

Cute animals standing at attention

We did not plan to climb the volcano, having a more mundane goal. Remember the nursery rhyme: “What is this post on the hill? Red gopher near the mink". However, gray, speckled, reddish and yellow rodents from the squirrel family are found far from here. You need to look for them in the vastness of the Volga region Saratov region, in the steppes of my small homeland. There they stand in large numbers like red stumps on unplowed elevated places.

Then who is the Evrazhka? It turns out that this animal... is also a gopher. But - special. The Kamchatka representative of the gopher tribe belongs to a completely different species than the animal we are familiar with in the European part of Russia.

The small animal Eurasian has several names at its disposal. He is a long-tailed ground squirrel, as well as a Beringian ground squirrel, and if anyone prefers, he is also an Arctic ground squirrel.

Lena said that Kamchadals traditionally divide all eurasians into two varieties: ordinary and those fed by tourists. In search of the first ones - not so well-fed and, therefore, more accommodating, you need to move further away from the camp. The campers are those pampered gentlemen who know a lot about delicacies.

Okay, let's do that. Although... Most likely in July, all the gophers have already eaten enough. So, we’re setting ourselves up for the picky ones.

How the cutie Evrazhka poses for a photo

We were the first to come across a settlement of people so plump and shiny that there was no doubt - these were definitely from the camp cohort. The impudent creatures definitely rejected our gifts. Yes, and we are good too: everyone brings kilograms of nuts to the cute guys, sets of peanuts and dried fruits, countless bags of seeds, and we are here with our simple crackers.

The red-haired animals, as if in retaliation, did not want to be photographed and fussed. And at our slightest movement, pushing, we quickly darted into the holes. And then they stuck their noses out of another exit.

The backs are covered with large light specks, and the black beads of the slanted eyes shine. They rise on their hind legs, fold their front legs at their chest, freeze like statues - the stance is excellent, it’s a pity they don’t give the military salute... It’s funny - to us or to each other? - they whistle, it is believed that at the same time they pronounce: “Si-ka-taka-tak.”

Well, here’s a suitable pebble... I sit down on it to make it easier to observe, and blissfully spread across the surface warmed by the sun. Not a beach, of course, but so good... Suddenly it dawns on me: with their standing at attention, they are so similar to the wonderful African ones.

I don’t even know who is more interesting to watch: the Eurasians or Sanya and Katyusha’s attempts to establish contact with them. I still give preference to my husband and daughter. How Katya tried, luring and luring the little animals, until, finally, one euracha had mercy!

Well, otherwise I was chewing on every blade of grass! The cracker is probably tastier? The animal sharpens it, holding a piece in its front paws.

Sanya also found his own - a bushy tail, silky skin - and lovingly takes a photo. The twins, the sons of Lena and Roma, rush through the valley with noise and uproar, trying to catch them. Yes, where are the fluffy little ones squealing and scurrying away from the boys at full speed.

Friendship is wonderful

It turns out that there is a local joke: the animal is offered a piece of butter. He, of course, grabs the gift and grabs it by the cheek. Happy, with swollen cheeks, the eurasian runs and hurries into its hole, and meanwhile the butter melts in its mouth. And here the animal stands, looks around this unfair world with a puzzled look, turns around and again runs to the person for a portion of deliciousness.

Oops... Unexpectedly, one Evrazhka himself decided to make acquaintance with me. A silent shadow crept up and fearlessly sat down near the sneakers. Then he became completely brave and touched my lowered hand with his paw. What an expressive face this creature has! But the problem is, I don’t have any food...

But immediately a crowd of people came rushing in with treats in their hands to make the animal happy. The curious little Eurasian went crazy from the elephant stomp of potential feeders, did not eat and, having slightly come to his senses, hid from his benefactors in a hole.

An hour later we began to get ready to set off. The remains of poorly-claimed crackers were scattered near the minks, and then it turned out that Sanya’s mobile phone was missing. And his phone is special. How many times has the device fallen and been broken into components, lost, forgotten, but always returned to its owner. Is it really irrevocable now...

Half an hour of searching for places of particularly intense photo sessions, and here is the phone number - hurray! – again in the hands of the owner. A last look at the volcanoes, the valley, the pebble where the Eurasian eurasian nestled...

The riddle of the Eurasians

Scientists look at these animals with great interest. The animal is the owner of a phenomenal property, the solution to the biochemistry of which would bring invaluable benefits to all of humanity. You've probably read science fiction novels and watched films about interstellar flights, when the crew of a starship immediately after takeoff until they arrive at their destination falls into a long sleep.

Eurasians, however, like ground squirrels of other species, as well as bears, are able to hibernate for a long time, reducing blood flow in this state, while doing without water, food and minimally consuming oxygen. If flights to the stars are a matter of the indefinitely distant future, then the ability to temporarily put people into a similar state would be very useful to modern doctors when treating patients with strokes, to alleviate the condition of patients with many other diseases, as well as during long surgical operations.

Cairns

Approximately halfway along the dry river from the Avachinsky pass there are pyramids of stones. Some are painted. Cute... What do they mean? Sanya looks questioningly at her Kamchadal friends. And I look at my husband: after all, we have already encountered similar structures!

Sanya grew up in the far north-west of Russia, his small homeland is stunningly beautiful. Where in the summer the sun does not go beyond the horizon, but only briefly disappears behind the neighboring mountain, where in the winter the sky sparkles with the northern lights. The indigenous Sami people also live there, famous for their legends and shamanic practices. The small ethnic group has a reputation as one of the most mysterious in the European north.

It’s easy to believe this when looking at their religious buildings - seids, which are piles of boulders stacked on top of each other according to an incomprehensible system. Once, in the Karelian wilderness, we, very impressed, stood near them. The Sami noidas knew for sure that powerful spirits lived in them. They say that mysterious places of worship still exhibit their supernatural powers.

But in Norway, the stone pyramids that people install on mountain tops are devoid of any paranormal properties. Here they are just homes for little trolls. - a kind of symbol of the country. Modern Norwegians dearly love ugly mountain giants and touchingly take care of the growth of their population, laying out pyramid houses for them from stones. After all, in the Norwegian region short summer and prolonged rains without a roof over your head make it difficult for even fairy-tale characters to live comfortably.

But it seems to me that most of all the stones stacked on top of each other are . On mountain paths, on passes, near holy places, multi-colored flags flutter and stand, along with individual roadside stones decorated with carvings and words of prayer, high piles of stone pyramids. In essence, they represent a materialized appeal to higher powers. They are posted by Buddhist believers in those special moments when they need the effective help of the gods or want to express their heartfelt gratitude to them.

While going to Mera Peak, we saw other stone pyramids - sad monuments erected by climbers in memory of those who did not return from the ascent...

What do stones stacked on top of each other mean in Kamchatka?

No, these man-made structures made of stones in the Sukhaya River near the Avachinsky Pass in Kamchatka have nothing to do with such sad events, friends vouch for this. Although you never know what kind of stone slides are still found on Kamchatka soil... But here it’s completely positive. Each stone placed is one dream that must certainly come true. Stacked on top of each other, they are a whole package of desires.

And how many pyramids are there! One can only envy the enthusiasm of our predecessors-tourists! And we join the construction. Roman, Lena and the twins are having fun building their family tower. Sanya and I have something in common. Katya carefully places the stones separately from everyone else. Oops, the pyramid is falling! Let's look for more stable stones... And here is a real masterpiece - standing and pleasing to the eye.

Great Kamchatka Pyramids

Where do most of our fellow citizens first learn the meaning of the word “pyramid”? Unlikely in my travels. Most likely at school while studying history Ancient world- the most distant past of humanity. As surveys show, it is this historical period that is particularly vivid in the memory of the vast majority of Russians.

Schoolchildren like colorful pictures from textbooks, are fascinated by interesting fragments of mythology, and spectacular films on historical topics. And how the very sight of giant pyramids affects the imagination! In addition, it turns out that science still does not know the exact purpose of these structures.

And then one day another episode appears in the “Mysterious Russia” section on the NTV channel. It tells that in Kamchatka there was a certain ancient civilization, which here, on the peninsula, long before the Egyptians, erected a stone pyramid. For endless centuries it was covered by glaciers, and now, under the influence of mysterious forces and hidden mechanisms, it has been exposed...

Not only that, she also made money! And now unknown prehistoric technologies are opening portals here, distorting space and matter, attracting UFOs, causing plane crashes and deaths... A real scientific sensation! But very little time passed and everyone forgot about the incredible news.

However, any sensation, if you dig deep, is based on real event. What do serious scientists think about this? The most interesting thing is that the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology of the Russian Academy of Sciences does not even think of denying the fact of the existence of giant pyramids on the peninsula. Here almost every mountain looks like a pyramid. Of course, this does not mean a simple mountain, but a volcano. Because the viscous lava flowing out of them according to its own laws is to blame for giving these mountain formations a pyramidal shape.

But here’s what one simple Kamchadal said regarding the existence of the great mysterious pyramid: “I would create it myself, just to attract tourists to our region.” However, isn’t this how - out of nowhere - many legends were born that regularly attract tourists from all over the world?

According to the fairytale method behind an elite fence

The cheerful and sunny day continued with a visit to heaven. Now we are going to a wonderful place - the Zelenovskie Ozerki recreation center, which is not far from Elizovo. One of the little joys of life is bathing in a spring heated by the heat of the hot heart of the earth. It is known that thermal baths help to relax the body and forget about all the troubles. But they are capable of more! For example, to prevent diseases or help cure them. Water seeping from the depths of the earth is enriched with many minerals.

In Kamchatka thermal waters, depending on the area, the set of dissolved minerals varies. Take, for example, the Nalychevo thermal baths, the famous springs from the village of Paratunka and Zelenovskie Ozerki - in all three, the waters differ not only in temperature, but also in composition, and therefore help with various diseases, but always give a positive therapeutic effect. Back in the 18th century, it was known that in Kamchatka all “the waters there are extremely healthy.”

Classification mineral waters Kamchatka springs
Carbon dioxide	Malkinsky, Timonovsky, etc.	There are many similar ones
Arsenic	Nalychevsky, Zheltovsky and others.	Not all of them are of practical importance
Hydrogen sulfide	Ozernovsky, Drankinsky, Pinachevsky and Sivuchinsky	Only these four groups of sources
Bromide and iodine waters	On the territory of the Kronotsky Nature Reserve	The fact of their presence has been established
Siliceous	Paratunskie, Pauzhetskie, Bannye, etc.	Most common type of water
Radon		The radon factor is present in many sources

In 1987, hydrogeologists discovered a new deposit of hot hydrogen sulfide water, called Pinachevsky. The population quickly found use for them, which flowed from drilled wells near the Zelenovsky stream. Wild baths, which became popular among the people, were replaced by one built for workers Agriculture dispensary, now it is a recreation center for everyone. The natural water of Ozerok is also considered to have a radon effect.

A curious coincidence: although the origin of the name Pinachevo is historically connected with the name of one toyon who lived here during the time of the pioneers, named Pinich, the same word in the Itelmen language denotes the heat of fire.

The place of bliss and relaxation is surrounded by an impressive fence, which, in turn, is covered with photographs of Kamchatka views. Behind the fence, there are cafes, changing rooms, showers, and, most importantly, ten special baths and one large communal pool for vacationers.

Oh, it's hot! Uhhh, it's cold!

And here we are sitting in water that smells like rotten eggs. If you want to make it hotter, drag a plastic pipe, add boiling water to the bath and bliss. It’s good... I don’t want to go out, but I have to - if I sit too long, it will become bad... Recommendations for taking procedures are hanging in the locker room...

And after cooking - yes, into ice water, fortunately the icy Lake Klyuchevoe is nearby. It’s like in the fairy tale about the Little Humpbacked Horse: first he plunged into a cauldron of boiling water, then he was in an ice cauldron and became a good fellow!

I couldn’t go further than knee-deep into the lake - my legs were cramping from the cold. And why? It is doubtful that I could turn out to be any good guy. But the charge of vivacity is absolutely unreal. But Sanya is that exemplary kind fellow. I took the plunge twice and did a couple more strokes. This, my friends, is Kamchatka. There is everything here - to improve your health, toughen up, and become a handsome man.

The day ends, we return home to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. There was so much to do: enjoying the heights and views of the Avacha Pass, meeting the charming ground squirrels and building pyramids of stones to make wishes come true. Do you know what our friends are preparing for us tomorrow? This will be something! But more about that next time...

​

And I would like to say a few words about one more animal (or rather, little animal). It may seem strange to a person who has never been to Chukotka, but one of the most noticeable wild inhabitants of these places is the ground squirrel, or, as it is called here, the eurasian. This ground squirrel belongs to the Arctic ground squirrel species, most of whose range is located on the American continent, and its presence in Chukotka serves as one of the evidence of the former connection of America with Asia.

Most of all, I had to observe eurasians during my second trip to Chukotka in 1985, when, as part of the epidemiological team of the Institute of Disinfection and Sterilization of the Ministry of Health, we studied small tundra rodents in the Pevek region, Western Chukotka. Eurasians are ordinary animals here too. And one of the most remarkable features of their way of life is that they not only do not avoid human settlements, but, unlike other gophers well known to everyone, in some places they become a real synanthropic species, living even in houses and other human buildings.

Eurasians are diurnal animals, and besides, when they are restless, they scream loudly, so detecting their presence is not difficult. They do not live only in swampy areas of the tundra, but where the soil is hard, they are found everywhere, including in almost all small settlements, even on the outskirts of regional centers - the villages of Provideniya and Lavrentiya. But the most impressive ones are those living in abandoned villages, of which, unfortunately, there are quite a few in Chukotka. We saw especially many gophers in one of these “villages” on the site of an abandoned mine. I must say that the very sight of this “village” produces a rather depressing impression. Imagine a “road to nowhere”, along which only in dry weather a car can still pass, a line of poles with removed wires, abutting the ruins of houses in various stages of destruction. Most of these houses have neither doors nor glass in the empty window openings; there are piles of rubbish everywhere, torn books and magazines here and there (including collections of scientific papers on geology!), and abandoned equipment. And literally from every house you can hear the screams of the Eurasians. If you stood quietly and observed, you could immediately see the animals themselves. Most of their burrows were located at the bases of the walls of houses, and near these burrows the gophers stood in a “column” and called to each other. Some of them even climbed onto the roofs of houses - gophers of all types are often inspected from elevated points, and it is difficult to find a better “observation point” than the roof of a house. Sometimes the cries of the Eurasians were heard from the premises themselves, where the animals search for and find various food waste. I have probably never seen such a combination of complete desolation of a former village with intense “wild” life on its ruins anywhere else.

And in the expedition camp that year, the European Eurasians became our neighbors. At the beginning of summer, before the young animals emerged from their burrows, our camp was constantly visited by two adult females, whose burrows were nearby. An attractive force for them was our garbage dump, or more precisely, a wooden box behind the utility tent, in which we put empty cans and other kitchen waste and where the gophers could always feed. They were not at all afraid of us and eventually became so accustomed to us that they even began to take the offered food from our hands. And when in mid-July the broods of both females emerged from their burrows, they too quickly found their way to the treasured trash heap. Moreover, young gophers have mastered our utility tent itself, where we stored food. Summer in Chukotka is short; Already in July, eurasians begin to intensively store food in their wintering burrows, and the animals quickly realized that they would not find such an abundance of food as in our utility boxes anywhere else. It was not difficult for them to dig under our warehouse, and after that the quantity of some cereals and then others began to decline catastrophically. And one day we even discovered that our stock was empty granulated sugar- he “migrated” to the minks of the Eurasians.

At the beginning of August, the behavior of the gophers changed. Old females, who hibernate earlier than the young ones, began to appear less and less often in the camp. The youngsters, who had grown up, began to seize territory for their own plots, and aggressiveness appeared in their relations with each other. But they all continued to regularly visit our camp to feed and stockpile food.

However, what made the greatest impression on us was the behavior of the female eurasians in last days the existence of our camp, or rather, during our gathering and packing of equipment. Either they were struck by the “disorder” and the rapid change in the usual situation in the camp, or - it’s scary to think! - They realized that we were winding down and liquidating our farm, but the few animals that settled near our tents fell into some kind of frenzy. They almost never left the camp, scurrying between our hands, trying to find the last food available to them. I have never seen anything like this in the behavior of generally wild animals anywhere. Unfortunately, one can only guess how they behaved in the camp we abandoned, where after our departure only the skeletons of former tents remained.

Observing all these behavioral features of Arctic ground squirrels, one could not help but wonder why there is so much unusual in the relationship of this species with humans. After all, no other gophers, perhaps, anywhere come into such close contact with humans, avoiding settling in close proximity to them. It seems to me - although, of course, this is only an assumption that requires verification and justification - that the matter here may be connected with extremely short summer in the places where eurasians live. Indeed, in just over two months, which can be called summer in Chukotka, the animals need to reproduce, the young animals need to grow and prepare their bodies for wintering, and I think that they simply do not have time that they could spend getting used to those changes in conditions their habitats, which we contribute through our activities. If a camp or village appears in the tundra, you must immediately penetrate there and take advantage of what is “badly located.” In addition, the population does not particularly persecute eurasians, and any food waste in the tundra on permafrost practically does not rot and retains its attractiveness for a long time. Dogs, of course, pose a serious danger to gophers, and, apparently, gophers can gain a foothold near settlements only where, for one reason or another, dogs do not threaten them. In particular, there were no dogs in our expedition camp.

Eurasian squirrel or Kamchatka Beringian ground squirrel - very cute furry animal. This inhabitant of open landscapes can be found at almost any volcano in Kamchatka. But most of them are at the foot of the Koryak-Avacha group of volcanoes. This is a gastronomic paradise for European squirrels, not only thanks to the generous gifts of nature, but also thanks to generous tourists who want to get to know these animals better.

Eurasians

The Kamchatka ground squirrel is the largest of all the eurasians living on the planet, its usual weight is 700-800 grams. Gophers live in groups; their homes are burrows, which can sometimes reach 3 meters in depth and 15 meters in length. Minks have several entrances and exits.

Evrazhki, like Kamchatka brown bears, during the winter they hibernate, in which they spend almost 8 months! When the first snow falls, usually at the end of September, Kamchatka ground squirrels cover the entrances to their burrows with soil and go to sleep. They wake up only at the end of April, beginning of May. At this time, there is still snow in the mountains and the eurasians use their summer supplies for food.

Eurasians who live under the Avachinsky volcano can be easily hand-fed. They are accustomed to humans and are practically not afraid of them. Particularly brave ones run towards tourists as soon as they see them getting out of the car, or when they hear the rustling of packages. A trip to the foot of the Avachinsky volcano will be a great pastime for families with children of all ages.

Tourists usually bring bread and cookies to the Eurasians, which has a bad effect on the well-being of these small animals; in addition, such delicacies quickly spoil in their winter pantries, destroying previously prepared supplies along the way. If you want to feed your little Eurasian without harming him, take nuts, hard fruits or vegetables with you.

Family: Squirrel Genus: Gophers View: American ground squirrel Latin name Spermophilus parryi
(Richardson, )

Security status Least Concern IUCN 3.1 Least Concern:

American, or Beringian, or American long-tailed ground squirrel, local name European(Also eurasian And ovrashka) (lat. Spermophilus parryi) - a rodent of the genus gophers.

Appearance

The American ground squirrel belongs to the largest ground squirrels: body length in Chukchi specimens is 24.5-32.5 cm, in American ones - 30-39.5 cm. Weight - 700-800 g. Males and females are approximately the same size, but males are heavier . The tail is fluffy, long, up to 13 cm, making up about 40% of the body length. The size and weight of the animals increase from south to northwest, north and northeast.

The color of the back is brownish-ocher with a distinct pattern of large light spots; the head is darker, brownish-rusty. The color of the abdomen is bright, pale-rusty. Winter fur is lighter, with a predominance of gray tones. Young animals are distinguished by vague spotting and duller colors.

Spreading

The American ground squirrel lives in Eurasia and North America. In Eurasia, it inhabits the extreme northeast of Siberia, east of the Lena River - the Kolyma Highlands, Chukotka, Kamchatka. In the south it does not reach Magadan. It is found from the right bank of the Kolyma to the Arctic and Pacific oceans and on Aion Island. To the west of the main range there are large isolates: the Yana population inhabiting the Yana River basin, and the Indigirskaya population in the upper reaches of the Indigirka. The area of ​​the arctic ground squirrel's habitat in Eurasia exceeds 2 million km² and is gradually expanding due to anthropogenic transformation of the landscape - ground squirrels are settling in agricultural lands and along highways. However, in its range, the Arctic ground squirrel has a mosaic distribution, and its habitat zones alternate with vast uninhabited territories.

In North America, the American ground squirrel inhabits the extreme northwest: Alaska, Canada from the Arctic Circle to British Columbia.

Kamchatka representative of the species - colloquially called Eurasian

Lifestyle and nutrition

Inhabitant of open landscapes - meadow and steppe areas, tundra. The distribution is limited by the presence of permafrost, so the American ground squirrel usually settles on any elevations of the relief (including small hills), along the ridges of unflooded river terraces. In the pools of the river Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma lives in areas of relict steppes. It is found in the mountain tundra up to an altitude of 1400 m above sea level. It can settle in clearings and edges of larch forests, thickets of polar birch, dwarf cedar, where there is steppe vegetation, along sandy coastal ridges. In North America, it inhabits similar biotopes: sandy river terraces, thickets of shrubs with cereal herbs, avoiding areas with permafrost. Masters well changed areas economic activity human - agrocenoses, railway embankments, roadsides. Found in populated areas, including large cities (Pevek, Verkhoyansk, Yakutsk).

The American ground squirrel lives in colonies of 5-50 individuals. The size of individual areas of adult males is much larger than that of other ground squirrels of Eurasia - they reach 6.5 hectares. The depth and length of the burrows depends on the nature of the soil and the level of permafrost. The longest and deepest burrows are found on sandy soils: length up to 15 m, depth up to 3 m. Near permafrost, burrows are no deeper than 70 cm. Typically, a burrow consists of a main passage and burrows, a nesting chamber lined with lichens, leaves and wool, and pantry. During hibernation and for protection from bad weather, the animals close the entrance to the hole with plugs made of soil. In populated areas, gophers settle in the foundations of houses and greenhouses. Arctic ground squirrels are active during the day - from 5-6 to 19-20 hours; at noon their activity subsides.

Nutrition

The American ground squirrel is almost omnivorous, although its diet is dominated by herbaceous plants. The composition of feed depends on the flora of the region and the time of year. Before hibernation, gophers begin to intensively eat underground parts of plants (rhizomes, bulbs); at this time, their diet certainly includes lingonberries, blueberries, bearberries, as well as mushrooms and shoots of bushes. Due to the cold climate, animal food plays a significant role in the diet of the Arctic ground squirrel - it regularly eats fillies, ground beetles, caterpillars, as well as carrion. In populated areas, he rummages through trash cans, picking up food scraps; cases of cannibalism are known.

In the second half of summer, the gopher begins to store food: the fruits of tundra shrubs, dry grass, leaves. In populated areas, gophers steal and store crackers, flour products, and cereals. Reserves are used not in winter, but after spring awakening, when the food supply is still scarce.

Life cycle

The most important feature of American ground squirrels is hibernation, which lasts up to 7.5-8 months. The animals awaken and come to the surface in April-May, when there is still permanent snow cover. Both in autumn and spring they are found on the surface at sub-zero temperatures - down to −40 °C. Adult males are the first to emerge from hibernation, after a few days - females, then one-year-old animals.

The American ground squirrel breeds once a year. The rut begins immediately after the females awaken, usually in late April - early May, and lasts about 10 days. In the very north of the range, mating can occur in burrows before the mass emergence of gophers to the surface. Pregnancy lasts 25 days, cubs are born in late May - June. American ground squirrels are distinguished by their high fertility: in a litter there are from 5 to 10 cubs, sometimes up to 14. The gophers come to the surface by the end of June, but stay with their mother until mid-July. American ground squirrels reach sexual maturity in the 2nd year of life; rarely live more than 3 years. The number of 3-year-old animals in the population is no more than 10-11%.

Gophers go into hibernation at the end of August - beginning of September, when snow falls. Animals of both sexes nest almost simultaneously. Since the Arctic ground squirrel is the only species that hibernates near the cold pole, it serves as a good model for identifying adaptive mechanisms during critical situations. As it turned out, this species sleeps at sub-zero temperatures - in gopher nests the temperature in winter drops to -3...-5°C. Accordingly, the body temperature of the gopher itself drops to +10 °C. The survival of animals in such a situation is ensured by the peculiarities of fat deposition - with a predominance of oleic acids. At the same time, during hibernation the animals lose up to 30-40% of their weight.

Significance in biocenosis

The burrowing activity of gophers plays an important role in the depleted biocenoses of the tundra of the Far North - they bring soil from the lower soil horizons to the surface and contribute to the dispersal of seeds and the transformation of tundra plant communities to meadows. American ground squirrel burrows provide habitat for numerous tundra invertebrates - botryobionts(typical burrow inhabitants). American ground squirrels serve as regular prey for skuas, snowy owls, gyrfalcons, rough-legged buzzards, wolves, grizzly bears, and other tundra predators.