Underground animal home dug in soft dirt
A
burrow
is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an
animal
to construct a space suitable for habitation or temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of
locomotion
. Burrows provide a form of shelter against
predation
and exposure to the elements, and can be found in nearly every
biome
and among various
biological interactions
. Many animal species are known to form burrows. These species range from small
amphipods
,
[1]
to very large
vertebrate
species such as the
polar bear
.
[2]
Burrows can be constructed into a wide variety of substrates and can range in complexity from a simple tube a few centimeters long to a complex network of interconnecting tunnels and chambers hundreds or thousands of meters in total length; an example of the latter level of complexity, a well-developed burrow, would be a
rabbit
warren
.
Vertebrate burrows
[
edit
]
A large variety of vertebrates construct or use burrows in many types of substrate; burrows can range widely in complexity. Some examples of vertebrate burrowing animals include a number of
mammals
,
amphibians
,
fish
(
dragonet
and
lungfish
[3]
),
reptiles
, and
birds
(including small
dinosaurs
[4]
).
Mammals
are perhaps most well known for burrowing. Mammal species such as
Insectivora
like the
mole
, and
rodents
like the
gopher
,
great gerbil
and
groundhog
are often found to form burrows. Some other mammals that are known to burrow are the
platypus
,
pangolin
,
pygmy rabbit
,
armadillo
,
rat
and
weasel
.
[5]
Some
rabbits
, members of the family
Leporidae
, are well-known burrowers. Some species, such as the groundhog, can construct burrows that occupy a full cubic metre, displacing about 300 kilograms (660 lb) of dirt.
[6]
There is evidence that rodents may construct the most complex burrows of all vertebrate burrowing species.
[7]
For example,
great gerbils
live in family groups in extensive burrows, which can be seen on satellite images. Even the unoccupied burrows can remain visible in the landscape for years. The burrows are distributed regularly, although the occupied burrows appear to be clustered in space.
[8]
[9]
Even
Carnivora
like the
meerkat
, and
marsupials
, such as
wombats
[10]
are burrowers. Wombat burrows are large and some have been mapped using a drone.
[11]
The largest burrowing animal is probably the
polar bear
when it makes its
maternity den
in snow or earth.
[12]
Lizards
are also known to construct and live in burrows, and may exhibit territorial behaviour over the burrows as well. There is also evidence that a burrow provides protection for the
Adelaide pygmy blue-tongue skink
(
Tiliqua adelaidensis
) when fighting, as they may fight from inside their burrows.
[13]
Burrows by birds are usually made in soft soils; some
penguins
and other
pelagic
seabirds
are noted for such burrows. The
Magellanic penguin
is an example, constructing burrows along coastal
Patagonian
regions of
Chile
and
Argentina
.
[14]
Other burrowing birds are
puffins
,
kingfishers
, and
bee-eaters
.
Kangaroo mice
construct burrows in fine sand.
Invertebrate burrows
[
edit
]
Scabies
mites
construct their burrows in the skin of the infested animal or human.
Termites
and some
wasps
construct burrows in the soil and wood.
Ants
construct burrows in the soil. Some
sea urchins
and
clams
can burrow into rock.
The burrows produced by invertebrate animals can be filled actively or passively. Dwelling burrows which remain open during the occupation by an organism are filled passively, by gravity rather than by the organism. Actively filled burrows, on the other hand, are filled with material by the burrowing organism itself.
[15]
The establishment of an invertebrate burrow often involves the soaking of surrounding sediment in mucus to prevent collapse and to seal off water flow.
[15]
Examples of burrowing
invertebrates
are
insects
,
spiders
,
sea urchins
,
crustaceans
,
clams
and
worms
.
Excavators, modifiers, and occupants
[
edit
]
Burrowing animals can be divided into three categories: primary excavators, secondary modifiers and simple occupants.
[16]
Primary excavators are the animals that originally dig and construct the burrow, and are generally very strong.
[17]
Some animals considered to be primary excavators are the
prairie dog
,
aardvark
and wombat.
[18]
Pygmy gerbils
are an example of secondary modifiers, as they do not build an original burrow, but will live inside a burrow made by other animals and improve or change some aspects of the burrow for their own purpose.
[17]
The third category, simple occupants, neither build nor modify the burrow but simply live inside or use it for their own purpose.
[17]
Some species of
bird
make use of burrows built by
tortoises
, which is an example of simple occupancy.
[17]
These animals can also be referred to as commensals.
[17]
Protection
[
edit
]
Some species may spend the majority of their days inside a burrow, indicating it must have good conditions and provide some benefit to the animal.
[19]
Burrows may be used by certain species as protection from harsh conditions,
[20]
or from predators.
[13]
Burrows may be found facing the direction of sunlight or away from the direction of cold wind.
[21]
This could help with heat retention and insulation, providing protection from temperatures and conditions outside.
[21]
Insects such as the
earwig
may construct burrows to live in during winter, and use them for physical protection.
[20]
Some species will also use burrows to store and protect food. This provides a benefit to the animal as it can keep food away from other competition.
[19]
It also allows the animal to keep a good stock of food inside the burrow to avoid extreme weather conditions or seasons where certain food sources may be unavailable.
[19]
Additionally, burrows can protect to animals that have just had their young, providing good conditions and safety for vulnerable newborn animals.
[19]
Burrows may also provide shelter to animals residing in areas frequently destroyed by fire, as animals deep underground in a burrow may be kept dry, safe and at a stable temperature.
[21]
Fossil burrows
[
edit
]
Burrows are also commonly preserved in the
fossil record
as
burrow fossils
, a type of
trace fossil
.
See also
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Burrows
.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
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{{
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b
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hdl
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.
ISSN
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.
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