gophers

It was thought that humans were unique amongst mammals when it came to farming – but depending on how strict we are with definitions, it turns out we might not be alone when comes to tending the land to grow food.  Scientists have discovered that pocket gophers (Geomys pinetis) also practice a form of agriculture.Measurements on a field containing burrows built by the little critters suggest they don't just harvest the longleaf pine roots that grow into their homes – they cultivate them.At hundreds of meters long, those…

When we think of our fellow plant-eating mammals, we tend to picture them just eating whatever they find while foraging. According to new research, however, the pocket gopher actually farms its food … and it's the only non-human mammal to do so.Pocket gophers spend pretty much their entire lives underground, excavating multiple horizontal tunnels that run up to 160 m (525 ft) in length.Their diet consists mainly of plant roots, which they access within those tunnels. Doing all that digging is a lot of work, though –…