March 17, 2000

     Return of Gophers

Most gophers have been underground since October, and now some have begun emerging from winter hibernation.  The Minnesota gopher, famous symbol of the University of Minnesota, is also known as the 13-lined squirrel.  Found in pastures and other short-grass areas, it is common throughout the state except in the northeast.

Weighing from 5 to 9 ounces, it is 7 to 11 inches long, buff-colored with light and dark stripes and rows of spots down its sides and back.  Seeds and insects are its main food. While many burrowing animals leave piles of soil about their burrows, gophers scatter the soil widely, so that entrances to burrows appear on the surface only as small holes.

Facts about gopher hibernation are interesting.  A gopher plugs the burrow opening before beginning its long sleep, then curls into a ball, nose touching its belly and tail over its head.  The heartbeat drops from a normal rate of 200 beats per minute to an average of 17 beats per minute.  Oxygen consumption is decreased to about 7 percent of the amount used when it is active.  At the same time, the body temperature sinks to 37 degrees.  Severe cold, with freezing temperatures penetrating deep into the soil, can awaken gophers from their dormancy several times during the winter.  This causes their body temperature to rise and prevents them from freezing to death, but unusually warm temperatures might also awaken them.