Which family includes meadow dogs. Meadow dog

When mentioning the phrase, the "field dog" before the eyes arises the image of anyone, but not a mammal of rodent, a sort of terrestrial proteins. These mammals were obtained for sharp barking sounds that they communicate with each other. It is believed that their language is almost as complex as the human - contains a lot of combinations, with which they communicate with each other, i.e. They call information to themselves similar and even able to describe the occurring events. Let's talk about how field dogs look and what lifestyle they lead.

Appearance

As mentioned above, a field dog is a rodent living in North America, Mexico and Canada.

Externally, the dogs resemble Surkov, but somewhat smaller - the body length comes to 40 cm, and the mass of up to 1.5 kg. The front paws of the animal "are equipped with" powerful claws, thanks to which they can easily tear even a solid ground. The back is covered with yellowish gray wool, the stomach is somewhat lighter. Lape pads are also covered with wool. Have a fluffy tail up to 11 cm long.

Lifestyle

Field dogs are their colonies can with up to thousands of individuals. At the same time, each of the animals has its own duties that it is clearly observing - they have clocks, builders, educators, defenders. But together with this, their habitat is largely similar to the person's lifestyle - every family of these rodents has its territory, the boundaries of which are not violated by other community members, i.e. we can say that, like people, field dogs after performing their public features Remote to rest to their homes, having separate rooms: kitchen, nursery, bedrooms. These animals lead the day since August to February fell into the hibernation.

The family can consist up to 20 individuals, the main thing in which is the male. The remaining family members - females with young.

For the construction of its "cities", field dogs choose desert or steppe territories, open meadows and prairies. On one hectare can live to several thousand of these animals.

Interaction with man

Field dog - herbivore, capable of putting irreparable damage agriculture. They were also unbelievable for the fact that they completely break pastures, and cows are often traumatized, falling on their legs in their holes. That is why local farmers are struggling with them all possible methods. This struggle led to the population field dogs Not just significantly reduced - the view is on the verge of extinction.

The other side of this interaction was that these rodents began to breed as domestic animals on a par with cats and dogs. People understood that these are very clever animals that strongly tied to the person. If you grow them from young people, they will never even try to escape to the will. But the content of their home is associated with certain difficulties - they are very curious, so they need a constant lecture, because because of this character traits, they can easily cause harm and to themselves and the surrounding atmosphere. In addition, they are cunning thighs who love to drag the trophies to themselves into the nest.

Rodent Protection Methods

As we talked above, one animal living in your home is a cute, funny creature. But imagine the situation when you have thousands of them. At such a moment, they unwittingly think about how to deal with wild dogs. A feature of the existence of these animals is that the hour standing around the perimeter of their possessions will not be causing any treats and baits if it will be abroad of their "city". That is why, before getting rid of wild dogs, you need to clearly establish the boundaries of their residence.

Ways to combat rodent two:

• Ultrasonic.
• Chemical.

The first is much more gentle, it is safe for both the people and the rodents themselves. Modern discreteners make ultrasound signals that make animals leave the lured places.

It would seem that this is the perfect way to combat rodents, but it has one significant drawback - the high cost of the device. And if we consider that one device has its own radius, then one plot may be required a large number of Such devices. Yes, and the replacement of the batteries themselves - the pleasure is not cheap.

That is why many farmers go to more radical methods and allow the "heavy artillery" - chemicals, forgetting that the field dogs are not ordinary mice, and much more smart animals. It is not enough just to decompose the poisoned bait and so calm down. Over the meadows have to spray chemical substances, add them to water. Fighting with them in this way can be exhausted. Above, we talked how many individuals one colony of these rodents may not have, and it is clear that it is simply impossible to poison them. All new and new animals come to the scene. It can be said that such a struggle causes more harm than benefits - it's quite difficult to get rid of dogs on a particular site, and on the total number of animal it affects very much.

Field dogs in Russia

At one time the Internet literally exploded from messages that the inhabitants of Russia increasingly began to meet wild dogs at the cottage, but now it is safe to say that it was an erroneous opinion. These rodents are not able to survive even in the central strip of Russia, not that in Siberia. Hamsakov took and hamsters, who also apply irreparable harm to agriculture, but they have nothing to do with them. On the this moment True culprits are found, and dogs are completely rehabilitated.

Cute animals-meadow dogs are found only in the territory North America and in some regions of Mexico. This is from the Belichesky family. They live by friendly communities on the plains, mountain meadows and semi-deserts.

Outwardly, they are similar to Suslikov and Surkov. Approximately the same body is 30-35 cm, short legs and tail. Weight - from 800 to one and a half kilograms, and the males are larger and heavier than females by 10%.

These animals will be treated, no where in vain, but choose smooth and open spacesTo from afar to see unexpected guests or predators. In the recent past, the North American Indians hunted just like this, for fun on these harmless animals.

The dwelling of meadow dogs is a complex system Nor and numerous moves. Main entrance The animals surround the embankment from the ground, which is carefully tamped by their noses. Such a high slide protects the dwelling from flooding during rains, as well as serves as an observation point, where to see the enemy easily. But every "fireman" meadow dogs break through and several spare moves.

The central entrance to the underground dwelling has many branching. Each room neatly laid her grass and serves various goals. There are rooms for storage of food, "Children's" -d mammies and kids, bedroom, and even a toilet! Everything like us. Only for a long time in their rest, meadow dogs do not like to live: they constantly dig new apartments and tight the old one.

They called them because they publish piercing and sharp sounds, similar to the dog Lai. These sounds are accompanied by light shocks of the tail and, as a rule, are fed at the time of danger. Hearing alarm alarm, conifers are immediately prepared to meet the enemy.

A special signal prevents all about the appearance of an order or hawk; Then animals quickly hide in holes. Another signal indicates the appearance of a stranger on their territory. The third is that the danger passed.

Stand in "Column"

Feeding signals, meadow dogs become rear paws and straightened sharply.

Life is boiling both on the surface of the Earth and under it. Their large colonies are reminded by a real city. The animal community consists of family cells and all family members recognize the relatives at a distance, and at the meeting relate to each other with noses or teeth. This is a special greeting sign, which is similar to a kiss.

"Kiss"

Each family occupies a certain territory and does not allow other tribesmen there. All of them have their own duties that are strictly distributed: someone carries the guard, who is mooring, and someone is setting food.

They feed in the main plants, but do not refuse insects. Can do without water for a long time. Live no more than 10-12 years old.

It happens that the toads, tritons, and mice are instilled in their dwellings. But the skirmis between the owners and uninvited guests does not happen. Meadow dogs leave their old holes and go to other places where a new underground town is satisfied. They are fighting only with the owls who eat their young. There are also the fights not to power, but this happens very rarely.

Once the colonies of meadow dogs were numbered up to four hundred millions of animals and occupied a huge area. In our same days, their amount has declined sharply. And now they live in special territories under the protection of the state.

• February 19, 2013 A person who loves our smaller brothers will)