Pocket gophers
Pocket gophers are small rodents known for their distinctive cheek pouches, which they can turn inside out for cleaning. They belong to the family Geomyidae and are represented by around 40 species spread across five genera, including Orthogeomys, Thomomys, and Geomys. These mammals inhabit a wide range of environments throughout North and Central America, including deserts, grasslands, and tropical lowlands. Pocket gophers have thick fur that can be tan, gray, black, or even yellowish-white, and they possess sharp incisor teeth and small, flat ears.
Typically, these animals have a size range from 5 to 11 inches in length, depending on the species. Their diet primarily consists of leaves, grass, roots, and tubers, with some species relying on cacti during dry times. Pocket gophers create extensive underground burrows where they store food and raise their young, which are weaned after about a month. Although they play a role in their ecosystems, they can also be considered pests in agricultural settings due to their feeding habits. Their lifespan varies from one to five years based on species.
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Pocket gophers
Pocket gophers get their name from the cheek pockets on either side of their mouths. These pockets are fur-lined, and the gopher can turn them inside out to clean them.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Geomyidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
Around 40 species of pocket gophers are divided into five genera—Orthogeomys (giant pocket gophers), Thomomys (Western pocket gophers), Pappogeomys (Mexican pocket gophers), Geomys (Eastern pocket gophers), and Zygogeomys (Michoacan pocket gopher).
Pocket gophers live in various conditions and environments. They are found in the desert, shrub, grassland, or tropical lowlands across much of North and Central America, from central and southwestern Canada through the western and southeastern United States into Mexico and the Panama-Columbian border. Some live in cold habitats. Their fur-lined pouches keep their food dry and their bodies warm.
Pocket gophers have small, round bodies with light tan, gray, or black fur. Some are yellowish-white. Their heads are small and point toward the ground. Their small ears lie flat against the sides of their heads. They have sharp incisor (cutting) teeth, and thin tails. Pocket gophers, like all rodents, have whiskers that help them find their way around. They use their tails to feel their way around when they are running backwards through the tunnels in their burrows. Pocket gophers range in size from the small Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama), with a head and body length between 5 and 6 inches (13 to 15 centimeters), to the giant pocket gopher (Orthogeomys grandis), with a head and body length between 8 9/10 to 11 1/5 inches (225 to 285 millimeters).
Pocket gophers usually eat leaves, grass, roots, and tubers (underground stems). They need water to survive. When water sources are scarce they eat cacti, which hold water. Pocket gophers store much of their food in their burrows, or underground tunnels and chambers. They carry the food to their burrows in their cheek pouches. In some areas, they are pests. They eat crops in farms, orchards, vineyards, and tree nurseries.
Females may have one litter or many litters in a year, giving birth to anywhere from 2 to 10 young, depending on the species. The young are totally dependent at birth and are weaned from their mother's milk after a little more than a month.
Pocket gophers usually have a life span of between one and five years, depending on the species.
Bibliography
"Gopher." A-Z Animals, 24 Mar. 2024, a-z-animals.com/animals/gopher. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.
Myers, Phil. "Geomyidae." Animal Diversity Web, animaldiversity.org/accounts/Geomyidae. Accessed 15 Apr. 2024.