The self-preservation instinct is inherent in all living creatures, it is thanks to him that many species still live on the planet. But for each, it manifests itself in its own way: for some, due to the processes of evolution, hearing has sharpened, someone has mastered the masking technique, and someone has learned architectural skill. Let us dwell on those who build their own holes, and also consider what are the abilities and why they are needed.
Animals - "architects"
In order to protect themselves and their offspring, many species of animals learned building skills. They began to build holes for themselves, while their design can be so confusing that many researchers to this day can not determine the purpose of some parts. Among animals, the most successful builders are beavers, foxes, almost all rodents and badgers.
For example, gopher burrows have a dozen branches, each of which can have a length of up to 20 m. In addition, inside this underground castle there are rooms for rest, wintering, and also mini-barns designed to store supplies. Therefore, it is not surprising that such animals can be safely called architects.
What are snoops?
Now we pass directly to the gnats themselves, or the lateral branches of the hole. Such a construction serves many tasks, and depending on whose house it is, they can change. But first of all, this is the tunnel used by animals in those situations when there is no way to get into the main passage. Simply put, an emergency exit is what a snoot means.
The number of snouts can reach more than one dozen, it all depends on the animal itself and how long it lives in its shelter. The greatest number of such branches is built by the fox, thereby creating for itself escape routes when danger is approaching.
What kind of animals do they build?
What beauties, a beaver knows well, because in his house they always are. First of all, they are needed in order to get out in those cases when the main passages are flooded with water for a long time. By the way, beavers are considered the best architects in the animal world, because in addition to building multi-tiered houses for themselves, animals also build dams and dams, and, if necessary, break new channels.
Gophers are also well aware of what snoops are. They have long learned how to use these structures for their own purposes. So, during the construction of the nest, they begin to dig and knots, but they don’t finish the work. When winter comes, gophers close up the main passages, only with the advent of spring it is not always possible to uncork them. And then they simply dig out the desired snout, thereby creating their own way out.