By “gophers” I mean ground squirrels, that is, those little members of the large group of mammals who not only have spent the winter in the ground but in the other seasons, go into their burrows for protection, to rest, sleep, or to get away from hot weather.
“Gopher” is a term that applies to ground squirrels and other creatures that dwell or burrow in the ground on the Canadian prairies and Great Plains. In the Kootenay Rocky Mountains you may find the golden-mantled ground squirrel. In hot areas to the south, ground squirrels may go into a dormancy (estevation) during shortage-of-food weeks and during hot weather in July and August.
The ground squirrel species, in the Kootenay Region, that gets dubbed gopher is the “Columbia ground squirrel”. It inhabits roadsides and dry open areas in the lower montane forest and open bench-lands and also dry spots in thickets and in the valley bottom. An observer can easily see evidence of their presence by the mounds of dirt with a three inch round hole in the centre.
On these mounds they stand like sentinels, ready to sound an alarm if approached by what they consider to be an intruder. They have a loud, high-pitched whistle which, as they disappear down the hole, continues as a series of excited chirps that may last far down into the burrow. It seems they whistle only at the den entrance or as they bee-line towards it.
The ground-squirrels, similar to grizzlies, are omnivores and will eat animal matter and carrion given the opportunity. Ground squirrels mostly eat fresh, green leaves, grass, tender shoots, buds and flowers. On occasion they have been known, like squirrels in general, to eat bird eggs, chicks, and grasshoppers. While it may appear they are “directing traffic” on Alberta highways, the Richardson’s ground squirrels may be seen standing in line to feast on the latest casualty of their friends.
Ground squirrels make their nests deep in the ground, in cavities with several escape routes. Once I was watching a burrow and while doing so, I discovered the critter was peaking at me from another burrow about six metres away. And as their habit is, it blasted me with a series of sharp chirps as it headed back down into the refuge of the burrow. As I left, I could still hear it chirping from down under.
So, the gophers have just come back from being down-under for the winter. Many probably spent the winter in burrows in the orchards (or brushy areas) where the trees would give more protection from winter’s cold. For a few days, they will run back-and-forth between the open areas and the orchards until they have gotten settled in a territory and are finding enough food.
