Animals That Make Burrows

Locating and Identifying Burrows

• Burrowing animals can be found in a number of diverse environments, ranging from dry deserts to deep oceans. But some less-exotic places to seek out these creatures could include sites as close as your front yard. Just as burrows can be found in a variety of locations, they come in all different shapes and sizes that help indicate what kind of animal created them. Being able to identify a burrow hole's owner strictly by looking at the dwelling's physical characteristics is an important skill, though some burrows include deep, complex tunnel systems that would be difficult to penetrate without causing structural damage.

Types of Burrowing Animals

• From mammals to echinoderms, burrows have a wide variety of different inhabitants. Rodents are a common type of burrower that can be found close to home; these include common species like rats, moles, gophers, groundhogs, chipmunks and prairie dogs. Other examples of mammals that burrow include foxes, rabbits, badgers and armadillos. Marsupials are another common burrower variety, including wombats and bandicoots. Less-cuddly burrowers include tarantulas, pupfish, sea cucumbers, earthworms, clams and desert tortoises. Some of these burrowers spend more time underground than others; foxes, for example, are nocturnal creatures that emerge from their burrow holes at night.

Advantages of Burrow Life

• Some animals choose burrows for increased protection against predators, while others opt to dig in for the dietary convenience of being able to snack on roots, tubers and insects found underground. Burrowing can also help animals survive in extreme climates. Desert burrowers use the holes to take refuge from the harsh heat of the sun, while arctic dwellers shield themselves from the brutal cold. These advantages make burrow life work for a variety of creatures, which accounts for the diverse range of burrowing animals around the world.

Special Adaptations

• Many of the creatures that burrow have special adaptations that help them to create the holes and tunnels, as well as live inside them. For instance, some burrowers are equipped with large claws and other appendages that are useful digging tools. Other burrowing animals are able to hibernate or remain dormant for long periods of time. This is greatly advantageous during times of extreme environmental conditions like droughts. Burrowers that rarely, if ever, emerge from their underground dwellings often have poor vision. However, these animals have other heightened senses like sharp hearing or an acute sense of smell.