Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

s of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on th
ASM Mammal Diversity Database
are all

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to North and Central America. They are commonly known for their extensive tunneling activities and their ability to destroy farms and gardens. The name "pocket gopher" on its own may refer to any of a number of

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

within the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Geomyidae. These are the "true" gophers, but several

ground squirrel Ground squirrels are rodents of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) that generally live on the ground or in burrows, rather than in trees like the tree squirrels. The term is most often used for the medium-sized ground squirrels, as the larger ones ar ...

s in the distantly related family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

are often called "gophers", as well. The origin of the word "gopher" is uncertain; the French , meaning

waffle A waffle is a dish made from leavened Batter (cooking), batter or dough that is cooked between two plates that are patterned to give a characteristic size, shape, and surface impression. There are many variations based on the type of waffle iron ...

, has been suggested, on account of the gopher tunnels resembling the

honeycomb A honeycomb is a mass of Triangular prismatic honeycomb#Hexagonal prismatic honeycomb, hexagonal prismatic cells built from beeswax by honey bees in their beehive, nests to contain their brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) and stores of honey and pol ...

-like pattern of holes in a waffle; another suggestion is that the word is of

Muskogean Muskogean ( ; also Muskhogean) is a language family spoken in the Southeastern United States. Members of the family are Indigenous Languages of the Americas. Typologically, Muskogean languages are highly synthetic and agglutinative. One docume ...

origin.

Description

Pocket gophers weigh around , and are about in body length, with a tail long. A few species reach weights approaching . Within any particular gopher species, the males are larger than the females, and can be nearly double their weight. Average lifespans are one to three years. The maximum lifespan for the pocket gopher is about five years. Some gophers, such as those in the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

'' Geomys'', have lifespans that have been documented as up to seven years in the wild. Most gophers have brown fur that often closely matches the color of the

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

in which they live. Their most characteristic features are their large

cheek The cheeks () constitute the area of the face below the eyes and between the nose and the left or right ear. ''Buccal'' means relating to the cheek. In humans, the region is innervated by the buccal nerve. The area between the inside of th ...

pouches, from which the word "pocket" in their name derives. These pouches are fur-lined, can be turned inside out, and extend from the side of the mouth well back onto the shoulders. Gophers have small eyes and a short, hairy tail, which they use to feel around tunnels when they walk backwards. Pocket gophers have often been found to carry external

parasites Parasitism is a close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the host, causing it some harm, and is adapted structurally to this way of life. The en ...

including, most commonly, lice, but also ticks, fleas, and mites. Common predators of the gopher include

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...

snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

s, and

hawk Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are very widely distributed and are found on all continents, except Antarctica. The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks, and others. This ...

Behavior

All pocket gophers create a network of

tunnel A tunnel is an underground or undersea passageway. It is dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, or laid under water, and is usually completely enclosed except for the two portals common at each end, though there may be access and ve ...

systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food. They are larder hoarders, and their cheek pouches are used for transporting food back to their burrows. Gophers can collect large hoards. Unlike

s, gophers do not live in large communities and seldom find themselves above ground. Tunnel entrances can be identified by small piles of loose soil covering the opening. Burrows are in many areas where the soil is softer and easily tunneled. Gophers often visit vegetable gardens, lawns, or farms, as they like moist soil (see Soil biomantle). This has led to their frequent treatment as

pests PESTS was an anonymous American activist group formed in 1986 to critique racism, tokenism, and exclusion in the art world. PESTS produced newsletters, posters, and other print material highlighting examples of discrimination in gallery represent ...

. Gophers eat plant roots, shrubs, and other vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, radishes, and any other vegetables with juice. Some species are considered agricultural pests. The resulting destruction of plant life then leaves the area a stretch of denuded soil. At the same time, the soil disturbance created by turning it over can lead to the early establishment of

ecological succession Ecological succession is the process of how species compositions change in an Community (ecology), ecological community over time. The two main categories of ecological succession are primary succession and secondary succession. Primary successi ...

communities A community is a Level of analysis, social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place (geography), place, set of Norm (social), norms, culture, religion, values, Convention (norm), customs, or Ide ...

r-selected In ecology, selection theory relates to the selection of combinations of traits in an organism that trade off between quantity and quality of offspring. The focus on either an increased quantity of offspring at the expense of reduced individua ...

and other ruderal plant species. The stashing and subsequent decomposition of plant material in the gophers' larder can produce deep fertilization of the soil. Pocket gophers are solitary outside of the breeding season, aggressively maintaining territories that vary in size depending on the resources available. Males and females may share some burrows and nesting chambers if their territories border each other, but in general, each pocket gopher inhabits its own individual tunnel system. Although they attempt to flee when threatened, they may attack other animals, including cats and humans, and can inflict serious bites with their long, sharp teeth. Depending on the species and local conditions, pocket gophers may have a specific annual breeding season, or may breed repeatedly through the year. Each litter typically consists of two to five young, although this may be much higher in some species. The young are born blind and helpless and are weaned when around 40 days old.

Control

''Geomys'' and ''Thomomys'' species are classed as "prohibited new organisms" under New Zealand's Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996, preventing them from being imported into the country.

Classification

Much debate exists among taxonomists about which races of pocket gophers should be recognized as full species, and the following list cannot be regarded as definitive. * Family Geomyidae ** Genus '' Cratogeomys''; some authors treat this genus as a subgenus of '' Pappogeomys''. *** Yellow-faced pocket gopher (''Cratogeomys castanops'') *** Oriental Basin pocket gopher (''C. fulvescens'') *** Smoky pocket gopher (''C. fumosus'') *** Goldman's pocket gopher (''C. goldmani'') ***

Merriam's pocket gopher Merriam's pocket gopher (''Cratogeomys merriami'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is Endemism, endemic to Mexico, where it is found in the area of the Valley of Mexico and the Toluca Valley, Valley of Toluca at elevations from ...

(''C. merriami'') *** Perote pocket gopher (''C. perotensis'') *** Volcan de Toluca pocket gopher (''C. planiceps)'' ** Genus '' Geomys'' – eastern pocket gophers; principally live in the southwestern United States, east of the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

mountains *** Desert pocket gopher (''Geomys arenarius'') *** Attwater's pocket gopher (''G. attwateri'') *** Baird's pocket gopher (''G. breviceps'') *** Plains pocket gopher (''G. bursarius'') *** Hall's pocket gopher (''G. jugossicularis)'' *** Knox Jones's pocket gopher (''G. knoxjonesi'') *** Sand Hills pocket gopher (''G. lutescens)'' *** Texas pocket gopher (''G. personatus'') *** Southeastern pocket gopher (''G. pinetis'') *** Strecker's pocket gopher (''G. streckeri)'' *** Central Texas pocket gopher (''G. texensis'') *** Tropical pocket gopher (''G. tropicalis'') ** Genus ''

Heterogeomys ''Heterogeomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Geomyidae, found in Mexico, Central America and Colombia. ''Heterogeomys'' are a small genus of rodents commonly known as pocket gophers, though the term applies to all genera within the famil ...

'' – giant pocket gophers or taltuzas; live in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia; some authors treat this genus as a subgenus of '' Orthogeomys''. *** Chiriqui pocket gopher (''Heterogeomys cavator'') *** Cherrie's pocket gopher (''H. cherriei'') *** Darien pocket gopher (''H. dariensis'') *** Variable pocket gopher (''H. heterodus'') *** Hispid pocket gopher (''H. hispidus'') *** Big pocket gopher (''H. lanius'') *** Underwood's pocket gopher (''H. underwoodi'') ** Genus '' Orthogeomys''; live in Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; *** Giant pocket gopher (''O. grandis'') ** Genus '' Pappogeomys''; live in Mexico *** Buller's pocket gopher (''P. bulleri'') ** Genus '' Thomomys'' – western pocket gophers; widely distributed in North America, extending into the northwestern US, Canada, and the southeastern US. *** Black-and-Brown pocket gopher (''T. atrovarius)'' ***

Botta's pocket gopher Botta's pocket gopher (''Thomomys bottae'') is a pocket gopher native to western North America. It is also known in some areas as valley pocket gopher, particularly in California. Both the specific and common names of this species honor Paul-Émi ...

(''T. bottae'') *** Camas pocket gopher (''T. bulbivorus'') *** Wyoming pocket gopher (''T. clusius'') *** Idaho pocket gopher (''T. idahoensis'') *** Mazama pocket gopher (''T. mazama'') *** Mountain pocket gopher (''T. monticola'') *** Nayar pocket gopher (''T. nayarensis)'' *** Sierra Madre Occidental pocket gopher (''T. sheldoni)'' *** Northern pocket gopher (''T. talpoides'') *** Townsend's pocket gopher (''T. townsendii'') *** Southern pocket gopher (''T. umbrinus'') ** Genus ''

Zygogeomys The Michoacan pocket gopher (''Zygogeomys trichopus'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Zygogeomys''. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitat is temperate, high-altitude forests. Its nu ...

'' *** Michoacan pocket gopher (''Zygogeomys trichopus'') Some sources also list a genus '' Hypogeomys'', with one species, but this genus name is normally used for the Malagasy giant rat, which belongs to the family

Nesomyidae The Nesomyidae are a family (biology), family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are N ...

In popular culture

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

is nicknamed the "Gopher State", and the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

's athletics teams are collectively known as the Golden Gophers, led by mascot Goldy Gopher. The Golden Gopher, however, refers to the Thirteen-lined ground squirrel, which is not a member of the Geomyidae family. * Gainer the Gopher is the

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

of the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League. *

Gopher Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They ar ...

is a recurring character in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

's '' Winnie the Pooh'' franchise. * A gopher puppet is featured prominently in the film ''

Caddyshack ''Caddyshack'' is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney, and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight (his final film role), Michael O'Keefe and Bill ...

'' and the sequel. * The mascot of the Go programming language is the Go Gopher. * Gordon the Gopher is an English puppet gopher that appeared on Children's BBC between 1985 and 1987. * Mac and Tosh from the

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

franchise are a couple of extremely well mannered gophers.

References

External links

Article on the Animal Diversity Web site
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gopher Rodents of Central America Rodents of Canada Rodents of Mexico Rodents of the United States Agricultural pests Fauna of the Western United States Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands Rodents by common name Extant Eocene first appearances Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte