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A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an Animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of Shelter against Predation and Exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the animals.

A wide variety of animals construct or use burrows in many different types of substrate. Mammals are perhaps most well-known for burrowing, especially Insectivora like the voracious Mole , and Rodent s like the prolific Gopher and Groundhog , and of course the most famous of all, the Rabbit . There are estimations that a single groundhog burrow occupies a full cubic meter, displacing 320 kilograms of dirt. Even Carnivora like the Meerkat and Marsupials like the Kangaroo Mouse are burrowers.

Other examples of burrowing animals include a number of Fish , Amphibian s, Reptiles (including small Dinosaur s1), and Birds , as well as numerous Invertebrates including Insect s, Spiders , Sea Urchins , Clams and Worms .

Burrows can be constructed into a wide variety of substrates. Kangaroo mice construct burrows in fine sand. Termite s construct burrows in wood. Some sea urchins and clams can burrow into rock. Burrows can also range in complexity to a simple tube a few centimeters long to a complex network of interconnecting tunnels and chambers hundreds or thousands of meters in total length, such as a well-developed Rabbit warren.


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