UMary Allen
Izingwejeje zaseGround ziyizilwane ezithambile ezibukeka njengezimbila ezincane. Zazivame ukwanda eJalimane, kodwa amashumi eminyaka singenazo.
Izici
Ingabe i-ground squirrel ibukeka kanjani?
Ama-Ground squirrels angama-squirrels ngakho-ke amagundane. Ngokunembayo, bangabakwalokho okubizwa ngokuthi ama-ground squirrels futhi ahlobene nama-squirrels.
Izingwejeje zaphansi zincane kakhulu futhi zithambile: ingwejeje endala yaphansi ikala amasentimitha ayi-19 kuya ku-22 kuphela ukusuka ekhanda kuye phansi. Umsila onehlathi ubude obungamasentimitha angu-5.5 kuya ku-7.5. Izingwejeje zomhlaba zinesisindo esingama-240 kuya ku-340 amagremu. Umzimba unamandla, imilenze mifishane kanti izinyawo zinezinzipho ezigobile kancane.
Uboya bengwejeje yasemhlabeni bumpunga-nsumpa ukuya kophuzi-mpunga, anombala okhanyayo kancane esiswini. Ingwejeje yase-Europe yase-Europe, ngokwesibonelo, inombala ophuzi-ompunga we-monochromatic futhi ayinamachashaza okukhanya kancane eboyeni bayo. Yingakho ibizwa nangokuthi i-monochromatic noma i-plain ground squirrel.
Ezinye izinhlobo zezingwejeje zomhlaba zibonwa ezinhlangothini zomzimba noma zinamanye amaphethini. Izindlebe zazo zonke izingwejeje zasemhlabathini mancane kakhulu futhi aziphumi eboyeni obuminyene. Ngokubuyisela, amehlo amnyama makhulu futhi ayamangalisa. Zonke izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zinezikhwama ezihlathini ezingagcina kuzo ukudla.
Ahlala kuphi ama-ground squirrels?
Izingwejeje zaseGround zihlala e-Asia naseNyakatho Melika. Izingwejeje zaseGround zazivame ukwanda eYurophu futhi zazitholakala naseJalimane. Namuhla zingatholakala kuphela kusukela e-Austria naseningizimu yePoland kuya emazweni aseBalkan nasezingxenyeni ezithile zeGreece kuya eTurkey. Ama-squirrels aphansi athanda izindawo ezomile ezifana ne-steppe. Abawuthandi umhlaba olinywayo, okungukuthi amasimu, amapaki, noma izingadi. Ngezinye izikhathi zingatholakala kuphela emasimini angenalutho noma emadlelweni.
Izingwejeje zaseGround ngokuvamile zihlala ezindaweni eziphansi, kodwa ngezikhathi ezithile nazo zigcwele - njengaseBulgaria - izifunda ezisezintabeni eziphakeme ezifika kumamitha angu-2500 ukuphakama.
Yiziphi izinhlobo ezahlukene zezingwejeje zasemhlabathini ezikhona?
Kunezinhlobo eziyisikhombisa ezihlukene zezingwejeje zasemhlabathini eYurophu nase-Asia kanye neziyishumi nane eNyakatho Melika. I-pearl squirrel, ehlala emathafeni aseningizimu yeRussia, ifana kakhulu ne-squirrel yaseYurophu. Kukhona futhi ingwejeje ephuzi noma yesihlabathi, ekhula ibe ngamasentimitha angama-38 ubude futhi ihlala ukusuka eningizimu yeSiberia kuya e-Afghanistan.
ENyakatho Melika, ingwejeje yaseCalifornian, ingwejeje yasemhlabathini enomsila oyindilinga, kanye nengwejeje yasemhlabathini enemigqa kusekhaya. Uboya bamuva bufakwe iphethini enemigqa emhlophe efika kweyishumi nantathu - yingakho igama layo. Izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zihlobene eduze nezimbila nezinja zasemathafeni.
Izingwejeje zasemhlabathini ziba neminyaka emingaki?
Izingwejeje zaseGround ziphila iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili kuya kweyishumi. Leso yisikhathi eside ngokumangalisayo ezilwaneni ezincane kangaka.
Behave
Izingwejeje zasemhlabathini ziphila kanjani?
Nakuba izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zinobungane kakhulu futhi zihlala emakoloni, isilwane ngasinye sihlala emgodini waso ongaphansi komhlaba. Amaphasishi omgodi wezingwejeje angafinyelela phansi ekujuleni kwemitha elilodwa nengxenye emhlabeni. Lokhu kuvikela izilwane eqhweni nasemakhazeni ebusika.
Emgodini ngamunye, kunesidleke lapho izilwane zilala khona futhi zikhulisele amaphuphu azo. Ngaphezu kwalokhu okubizwa ngokuthi yi-nest room, kukhona nendawo ekhethekile emgodini ngamunye lapho izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zisebenzisa “njengendlu yangasese”. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izilwane zimba imigodi enamagatsha amaningi eduze komgodi wazo. Bayisiphephelo sabo futhi babanikeza isivikelo lapho besengozini.
Ama-squirrels aphansi ahlala njalo. Ziyakwazi ukubona kahle kakhulu, okuzivumela ukuba zibone ngokushesha izilwane ezidla ezinye nezinyoni ezidla inyama ezingabasongela. Ngaphambi kokuba ingwejeje yasemhlabathini isuke emgodini wayo ekuseni, ibheka ngokucophelela indawo ezungezile. Ukwenza lokhu, kwenza “abesilisa” babheke kude kude.
Uma kwenzeka kuba sengozini, ngokushesha babalekela emgodini wabo. Nokho, endleleni eya lapho, bayama kancane phambi komnyango futhi bavele banyamalale emhumeni oyisivikelo ngomzuzu wokugcina.
Izingwejeje zaphansi ngokuvamile azisuki ngaphezu kwamamitha angu-80 ukusuka emgodini wazo. Ama-squirrel aphansi ashintsha uboya bawo phakathi kukaJuni nasekuqaleni kuka-August. Ngenxa yokuthi izingwejeje eziningi zasemhlabeni zihlala ezindaweni ezinesimo sezulu esipholile noma esipholile kanye nobusika obubandayo, zilala ebusika ukuze zidlule enkathini ebandayo. Ezindaweni ezibandayo kakhulu, lokhu kubusika kungahlala kusukela ngoSepthemba kuya kuMeyi. Ukuze benze lokhu, bavala iminyango yemigodi yabo ngomhlaba lapho kungena ubusika - njengezimbila.
Abangane nezitha zengwejeje yasemhlabathini
Izilwane ezidla ezinye ezinjengama-weasel, ama-stoat, ama-polecat, nezimpungushe kanye nezinyoni ezidla inyama njengama-saker falcons nama-buzzards ziyizitha zezingwejeje zasemhlabathini. Kodwa abantu nabo bayingxenye yawo: Ngenxa yokuthi kwakukholelwa ukuthi izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zidla isivuno samasimu, zazizingelwa kudala. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uboya babo babufunwa futhi buyafiswa.
Izingwejeje zasemhlabathini zizalana kanjani?
Isikhathi sokuzalanisa kwezingwejejejejela ezihlala phansi sisukela ngoNdasa kuze kube sekupheleni kuka-April, ngemva nje kokuba zivuke ebusika. Ama-gopher angamaduna avakashela ezinsikazi emigodini yazo futhi ahlangane nazo. Ezinsukwini ezingaba ngu-25 kuya kwezingu-26 kamuva, ezinsikazi zizala amaphuphu amane kuya kwamahlanu - ngezinye izikhathi amabili kuphela, ngezinye izikhathi afika eshumini nanye.
Izingane zama-squirrel aphansi azikwazi ukuzisiza ngokuphelele: zinqunu futhi ziyizimpumputhe. Bavula amehlo abo kuphela ngemva kwezinsuku ezingama-20 kuya kwezingama-25. Ingwejeje yasemhlabeni ihlala namaphuphu ayo izinsuku eziyishumi zokuqala, emva kwalokho ithuthela esakhiweni esingumakhelwane futhi iza kuphela ukuzomunyisa amazinyane.
Ngemva kwamasonto amane, amaphuphu asuka esidlekeni okokuqala futhi adle ukudla okuqinile. Ngemuva kwezinsuku ezingama-49 kuya kwezingama-56, izingwejeje zasemhlabathini ezincane ziyazimela futhi zingena emgodini wazo endaweni eyodwa. Bavuthwa ngokocansi cishe ezinyangeni eziyishumi nambili.