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Burrowing animals include species that live underground, animals that dig dens or use burrows excavated by others, and birds that dig underground nest chambers. This guide covers 24 examples, from subterranean naked mole-rats to puffins and kingfishers that burrow chiefly to breed. A burrow may shelter young, provide refuge, or later serve as a home for another species.
Some animals on this list are fascinating to observe but are not suitable household pets. Never seal, fill, or reach into a wild animal’s burrow: an apparently empty entrance does not prove that the chamber is unoccupied.
What makes an animal a burrower?
Fossorial animals are adapted for life underground. Other burrowers spend much of their time above ground but dig dens, store food below the surface, or use burrows to raise young. Birds such as puffins and kingfishers are burrow-nesters, not necessarily animals adapted to live underground.
24 burrowing animals
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Naked mole-rat
The naked mole-rat is a truly subterranean rodent native to eastern Africa. Eusocial colonies excavate interconnected tunnels that can reach about 4 kilometers in total. Large incisors loosen soil, workers move it through the tunnels and eject it at the surface, and typically only one female in a colony breeds. Smithsonian National Zoo
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Plains pocket gopher
Plains pocket gophers are solitary, territorial rodents. They make shallow tunnels in summer and deeper tunnels for nesting, food storage, and latrines. Their burrows are usually sealed, and excavations leave characteristic soil mounds. Animal Diversity Web
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Southeastern pocket gopher
This pocket gopher spends most of its life underground in a burrow system that may extend hundreds of feet. It pushes excavated soil to the surface in separate mounds and seals its tunnels, helping regulate conditions inside. Animal Diversity Web
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Coruro
The coruro is a colonial, entirely fossorial rodent from Chile. It digs with its forelimbs and enlarged incisors, then uses its hind feet to push loosened earth out of the tunnel. Animal Diversity Web
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Gerbils and jirds
Gerbil and jird burrows range from a single entrance and nest chamber to extensive networks with separate areas for nesting, food storage, and waste. Social habits vary: some species live alone, while others form colonies and dig tunnels several meters deep. Pet gerbils retain strong digging instincts, so provide a deep layer of safe bedding.
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Jerboas
These mostly nocturnal or crepuscular desert rodents shelter in underground burrows during the day. Some burrow into hillsides during rainy periods to reduce the risk of flooding; temporary communal burrows may also help conserve heat. Animal Diversity Web
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Voles and lemmings
Many voles and lemmings build underground nests and tunnel systems with separate areas for nesting, food storage, and waste. Some also create tunnels beneath snow, allowing them to move and forage while concealed. Animal Diversity Web
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Marmots
Marmots can spend 16–20 hours a day in dens during active seasons. Their winter hibernation chambers may be sealed with plugs of soil, dung, and gravel to maintain a stable microclimate. Animal Diversity Web
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Ground squirrels
Many ground squirrels dig burrows with multiple entrances that provide escape routes from aerial predators. They may also use burrows belonging to other animals, including marmots. Animal Diversity Web
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Prairie dogs
Prairie dogs live in social colonies, or “towns,” made up of family-based coteries and complex burrow systems. Burrows include sleeping, nursery, and escape areas. Raised soil mounds serve as lookout posts and help prevent flooding. Prairie-dog towns also provide habitat for other species. National Park Service
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American badger
The American badger is a powerful excavator that uses multiple burrows across its home range. Its digging disturbs soil, and its burrows can provide shelter for other wildlife. Animal Diversity Web
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Pygmy rabbit
The pygmy rabbit is the only rabbit species native to North America known to dig its own burrows. It usually chooses deep, loose soil near sagebrush, and a burrow may have several entrances. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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European rabbit
European rabbits build complex communal warrens where groups shelter and raise young. These systems can expand as rabbits add chambers and passages. Do not assume all rabbits dig their own burrows: many use cover, natural cavities, or existing burrows. Animal Diversity Web
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Nine-banded armadillo
Nine-banded armadillos sleep and nest in underground burrows, often near food sources. Burrows can have several passages leading to a central underground space, allowing the animal to use a nearby passage as an escape route. Animal Diversity Web
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Aardvark
The aardvark excavates temporary holes as well as elaborate burrows that extend several meters underground and may have multiple entrances. Females give birth in burrows, where young remain for several weeks. Animal Diversity Web
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Wombat
Wombats build extensive burrow systems; some burrows exceed 20 meters in length. The pouch opens toward the rear, an adaptation that helps keep soil out while the mother digs. Animal Diversity Web
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Meerkat
Meerkats are excellent diggers but usually occupy burrows excavated by other animals, especially ground squirrels. Their burrow systems can have multiple levels, sleeping and toilet chambers, and numerous entrances. A mob may memorize nearby emergency “bolt holes.” San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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Gopher tortoise
The gopher tortoise excavates a large burrow that provides shelter from heat, cold, fire, and predators. The burrow may persist and provide shelter for many other species. An entrance alone cannot reliably confirm whether it is occupied; survey guidance calls for appropriate inspection equipment. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey handbook
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Burrowing owl
This ground-dwelling, day-active owl usually nests in abandoned mammal burrows, especially prairie-dog burrows. It may occasionally excavate its own, but it commonly depends on shelters dug by other animals. Smithsonian National Zoo
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Atlantic puffin
Atlantic puffins dig shallow breeding burrows with their bills and feet, often lining them with grass and twigs. Pairs commonly reuse the same burrow in successive breeding seasons. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Tufted puffin
Tufted puffins excavate burrows in vegetated seaside slopes and cliff edges. Both adults dig with their bills and feet, then line the nest chamber with vegetation, feathers, and algae. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Belted kingfisher
Both adult belted kingfishers excavate a tunnel in an earthen bank, usually near water. The tunnel slopes upward and may extend 1–8 feet, reducing the chance that rainwater will enter the nest chamber. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Green kingfisher
The green kingfisher uses its bill to hammer into hard-packed soil while partially fused toes help push soil out of the nest tunnel. The eggs are laid on bare earth rather than in a cup-shaped nest. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
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Fork-tailed storm-petrel
Fork-tailed storm-petrels nest in enclosed sites on marine islands, including abandoned puffin burrows, rock crevices, and natural cavities. Where the soil is loose enough, adults excavate their own nest tunnels with their bills and feet. Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Why burrows matter beyond the animal that digs them
A burrow can improve soil aeration and drainage, provide refuge, or serve as a protected nursery. Once its original occupant leaves, the tunnel may become a den or nest site for another species. Prairie-dog and pocket-gopher systems, along with badger dens, are examples of burrows that can affect habitat beyond their original occupants. National Park Service
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For pet owners, digging should not automatically be treated as a problem. Gerbils, hamsters, rabbits, and other small mammals need safe opportunities to tunnel and hide. Use species-appropriate bedding and housing rather than soil collected outdoors, which may contain parasites, pesticides, sharp debris, or pathogens.
Burrowing animal facts worth remembering
| Fact | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Burrowing is not the same as being fossorial | A puffin or kingfisher may dig an underground nest without being adapted to live underground. |
| Many animals borrow burrows | Burrowing owls and meerkats commonly depend on shelters excavated by mammals. |
| Not every rabbit is a digger | European rabbits and pygmy rabbits are notable burrowers, but many rabbits and hares do not make their own burrows. |
| An entrance does not confirm vacancy | Wildlife may be inside even when there are no obvious tracks or fresh soil. |
FAQ
Which burrowing animal spends the most time underground?
The naked mole-rat is a clear example of a truly subterranean animal living in a colony-wide tunnel system. Pocket gophers and coruros also spend most or all of their lives underground.
Do all rabbits dig burrows?
No. European rabbits and pygmy rabbits are notable burrowers, but many rabbit and hare species use surface forms, dense vegetation, snow cover, natural cavities, or burrows made by other animals.
Are burrowing animals suitable as pets?
Some domestic species, including gerbils and rabbits, can be kept as pets with suitable housing. Most wild species on this list, such as aardvarks, wombats, prairie dogs, and gopher tortoises, have complex habitat and care needs and are not ordinary pets.
How can I tell whether a wild burrow is occupied?
You usually cannot tell reliably from the entrance alone. Avoid disturbing it, filling it, or putting your hand inside. If the burrow is near a home, road, or construction area, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or local wildlife agency.
The Bottom Line
Burrowing animals use underground spaces in different ways: naked mole-rats build colony-wide tunnel networks, rabbits create communal warrens, and puffins and kingfishers excavate nest chambers. Other species, such as burrowing owls and meerkats, often use burrows dug by mammals. For pet owners, digging is often a normal behavioral need, while wild burrows should be treated as potentially occupied habitat.
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