Just as some birds have nests and lions have dens, there are some animals that live in burrows. For starters, a burrow refers to a tunnel or a hole dug by an animal for specific or multiple functions. Usually, animals that burrow do so for habitation, hibernation, or food storage. In some cases, burrows can be a result of animal locomotion.
Common examples of animals that burrow include gophers, wombats, armadillos, moles, and groundhogs. However, did you know that there are burrowing snakes and birds? This piece highlights every aspect of animals that burrow.
What Is the Word for Animals That Burrow?
Any animal that burrows can be referred to as fossorial. The term fossorial originates from a Latin word that loosely translates to “digger.” Fossorial animals are well-adapted to digging; they can easily make complicated burrows.
What Is The Fastest Burrowing Animal?
Badgers are considered the fastest burrowing animals. This is understandable, considering pretty much of their life depends on it. From looking for food to evading predators and seeking shelter, badgers have no option but to burrow fast.
How Many Types of Burrowing Are There?
While burrowing in animals might seem straightforward, there are levels to it. Animals that burrow are categorized into 3. They can be primary excavators, secondary modifiers, or simple occupants. We discuss each one in detail below:
Primary Excavators
To qualify as a primary excavator, a burrowing animal must dig and construct the burrows themselves. Fortunately for them, they are perfectly adapted to the task. Popular examples of primary excavators include aardvark, wombat, and prairie dogs.
Secondary Modifiers
Secondary modifiers are animals that do not necessarily burrow but live in burrows made by others. In some cases, secondary modifiers can change or improve some aspects of their newly found burrows. A typical example of a secondary modifier is the pygmy gerbils.
Simple Occupants
As their name suggests, simple occupants are animals that do not burrow or modify already dug burrows. They occupy burrows made by other animals and use them as they are. Some bird species are known to inhabit burrows, especially those made by tortoises.
Can Lions Live in a Burrow?
Lions do not have the physical adaptations for burrowing or arboreal living. As such, they don’t burrow or live in such structures. The best place to spot lions is in the savannas or the grasslands where they live in prides.
Do Crocodiles Make Burrows?
Yes, they do! According to research, over half of the crocodile species can dig and live in burrows. This is especially true when the environment is stressful to them; drought is the perfect example. Nile crocodiles, whose reputation proceeds them, are among the most popular crocodile species that burrow. They can dig burrows of up to 12 meters (39 feet).
What Is The Largest Animal That Burrow?
While wombats perhaps make the largest burrows, polar bears are probably the largest animals that burrow. Polar bears are known to make maternity dens in snow or Earth, depending on several factors.
Mammals That Burrow
Mammals are the most popular animals that burrow. Examples include:
Moles
Moles are among the most common burrow animals. Burrowing moles have specific adaptations, such as cylindrical bodies, shorter tails, and stocky limbs, which allow them to burrow successfully. They are also hairless, lack external ears, and have tiny eyes hidden under their fur.
Groundhogs
Thanks to their unique adaptations, groundhogs can excavate complex, multi-chambered burrow systems. With about 2 to 5 entrances, groundhogs can retreat to their burrows when threatened and exit as they please. The animals also depend on their burrows for sleeping, hibernating and rearing their young ones.
Gophers
Gophers prefer to excavate burrows in areas where the soil is soft and can be easily tunneled. They usually form mounds as they burrow, pushing loose dirt to the surface. You can tell a burrow made by a gopher from its horseshoe/crescent shape.
Great gerbil
Great gerbils have large front claws that they use for burrowing. Primarily found in arid areas, these animals usually create large burrows with separate chambers for food storage and nesting. Great gerbils prefer to occupy a single burrow system per family.
Other examples of mammals that burrow that are worth mentioning include pygmy rabbits, armadillos, weasels, meerkats, rats, platypuses, and pangolins.
Fish That Burrow
The dragon and lungfish are the most popular examples of fish that burrow. Before estivation, lungfish are known to burrow deep into the mud. They do this to create a safe space for survival during their prolonged dormancy period.
Invertebrates That Burrow
Ants, termites, earthworms, and mouse spiders are the most common examples of invertebrates that burrow. They do so for various reasons, including nesting, food storage, and evading danger. Other examples in this category include:
- Sand dollar
- Funnel-web spider
- King baboon spider
- Chorus Cicada
- Burrowing urchin
- Annual Cicada
- Ghost shrimp
Birds That Burrow
Birds are not known for their burrowing prowess. If anything, those that do do so in soft soils. Examples of birds that burrow include puffins, bee-eaters, kingfishers, and Magellanic penguins. Magellanic penguins often construct their burrows along the coastal regions of Argentina and Chile.
Reptiles That Burrow
Reptiles such as slow worms, lizards, and desert tortoises rely on burrows for shelter and protection from predators. Slow worms can be found in compost, and rubble heaps where they mate.
