pest:
an insect or animal that damages crops, food, etc.
rover:
a small vehicle used to explore extreme places such as the surface of a planet or moon
Farmers deal with a lot of
pests
. Insects can destroy a whole
field of crops in minutes. Small mammals are also dangerous for
crops. One such mammal is the pocket gopher. These animals dig
underneath the ground. They eat plants from the roots up. By the time
a farmer realizes there’s a problem, the plants are dead.
Pocket gophers are unique among mammals. They can dig perfectly
round holes. They also dig complicated tunnel systems. They build entire
networks underground. Pocket gophers can also dig through tough soil
and rock. Gophers are often considered pests. But these powerful diggers
have proven to be helpful when it comes to biomimicry.
Scientists have landed
rovers
on Mars. Now they are studying what
the planet is made of. To do that, they need to drill through rock. This is not
an easy thing to do. So engineers have teamed up with biologists to study
pocket gophers.
Fur & Claws
37
A hole dug on Mars in 2013
was 2.5 inches deep (6.4 cm).
