Burrow

hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal

A burrow is a hole or tunnel in the ground made by an animal. Animals dig burrows to live in. Sometimes animals only use burrows for a short time. Many animals dig burrows.

A chipmunk comes out of its burrow
A series of Crustacean burrows in a Jurassic limestone, southern Israel

There are many different kinds of burrows. Different kinds of animals make different kinds of burrows. Lots of mammals make burrows. Some mammals that make burrows are moles, gophers, groundhogs, rabbits, meerkats, and kangaroo mice. The biggest mammal that makes a burrow is the polar bear.

Other kinds of animals that make burrows are: mammals, amphibians, fish (lungfish[1]), crustaceans, reptiles, birds, small dinosaurs,[2] insects, spiders, sea urchins, crustaceans, clams, and worms.

Burrows can be made in different materials. Kangaroo mice make burrows in sand. Termites make burrows in wood. Some sea urchins and clams make burrows in rock. Burrows can also be make in different shapes and sizes. Some burrows are simple tubes a few centimeters long. Others are many tunnels and rooms that connect to each other.

Sometimes a burrow has a special name when it is made by a certain kind of animal. For example, a rabbit's burrow is called a warren.

References change

  1. Dubiel, Russel; Blodgett; Bown, Robert; M, Thomas (May 1987). "Lungfish Burrows in the Upper Triassic Chinle and Dolores Formations , Colorado Plateau". Journal of Sedimentary Petrology. 57: 512–521.
  2. Varricchio, David J.; Martin; J, Anthony; Katsura, Yoshihiro (2007). "First trace and body fossil evidence of a burrowing, denning dinosaur". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 274 (1616): 1361–1368. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0443. PMC 2176205. PMID 17374596. Retrieved 2007-03-22.