The West Texas deserts may appear to be "miles and miles of miles and miles," but scratch those dry, dusty surfaces, and you'll find a world as busy and teeming with life as any major urban city. By Tammy Quinn Mckillip. Elephants are great big animals and are far too large to live in a burrow. Bear in mind that you might not even see some holes. Below we will answer questions about animal holes, ground holes and wildlife holes. Most ground squirrels live in a colony in which several animals will occupy the same system of burrows. What Animals Live in West Texas Desert Holes? Some, such as moles, create complex tunnel systems, while others, such as rats, dig burrows in which to hide. Animal hole sizes can provide information as to what animal or wildlife is the source. Burrowing animals, as their name suggests, excavate tunnels into the ground to create space to live and reproduce. Many burrowing animals have existed, including numerous mammals, insects, amphibians, reptiles (including small dinosaurs), crustaceans, worms, and even a few fish and birds.The start of the modern era of life, the Phanerozoic, is defined by the appearance of complex burrows in the fossil record 542 million years ago. According to where you live, you may have groundhogs, gophers, moles, and chipmunks, just to name a few. Rabbits and ground squirrels have slightly neater holes. Burrows not only serve as a home for these creatures, but also benefit the environment by aerating the soil. Speaking of foraging, other animals hunting for food in your landscape may also be tearing up the ground. Scarlet kingsnakes (Lampropeltis elapsoides) like to live under the bark of dead pine trees, while black rat snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) live in the holes of hardwood trees high above the ground. Let's learn more about Animal Hole Identification! Many mammals live in burrows. Many kinds of small animals, such as moles, voles, chipmunks and rats, make holes in the ground. Foraging armadillos can leave an impression on your landscape in the way of 1-2 inch wide holes that are up to 6 inches deep. Elephants do Not live in burrows. Burrows not only serve as a home for these creatures, but also benefit the environment by aerating the soil. Wade Hutcheson, my Extension colleague in Spalding county, gets plenty of calls from the citizens of his area asking his help in identifying various holes in their landscapes. There are four basic types of rodent that burrow in gardens. Keeping Animals Out of the Garden One effective method for keeping any animal out of the garden is to install a motion-activated sprinkler. Many kinds of small animals, such as moles, voles, chipmunks and rats, make holes in the ground. 10. Diagnosing (Identifying) Holes in the Yard Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Diagnosing (Identifying) Holes in the Yard Sometimes many heads are better than one when it comes to solving a problem. Many pocket mice of the Southwest plug their entrance holes with soil during the day to stave off moisture loss. For instance, the subterranean fauna refers to animals that are only adapted to living in underground environments. Take a look! Foraging. No. Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images . Many animals live and make holes during their life, such as a mole, but some dig holes just to hibernate in, like bears. Observe whether the hole seems to be one in a collection of holes or whether it is solitary. Each animal will have its own entrance hole, however. AnimalSake provides a picture gallery of some burrowing animals. These animals often take over abandoned dens, while opossums and foxes have been known to move in with the original owner of a multichambered den. Snakes spend much of their lives hiding from predators, and they use a variety of micro-habitats to accomplish this. These animals often take over abandoned dens, while opossums and foxes have been known to move in with the original owner of a multichambered den. Animal Holes Using an online wildlife key that leads you through descriptions of the damage is another way to discover which animal is making holes in your yard. Many mammals live in burrows. Moles, pocket gophers, ground squirrels and prairie dogs are all animals that live in underground burrows and may damage your yard or garden.