Pocket Gopher, Geomys bursarius

The Definitive Guide to Gopher Control and Where to Find a
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Identification

Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents, so named because they have fur-lined pouches outside of the mouth, one on each side of the face. 

These pockets, which are capable of being turned inside out, are used for carrying food. Pocket gophers are powerfully built in the forequarters and have a short neck; the head is fairly small and flattened. The forepaws are large-clawed and the lips close behind their large incisors, all marvelous adaptations to their underground existence.

Gophers have small external ears and small eyes. As sight and sound are severely limited, gophers are highly dependent on the sense of touch. The whiskers on their face are very sensitive to touch and assist pocket gophers while traveling about in their dark tunnels. The tail is sparsely haired and also serves as a sensory mechanism guiding gophers’ backward movements.

Pocket gophers are medium-sized rodents ranging from about 5 to nearly 14 inches long (head and body). Adult males are larger than adult females. Their fur is very fine, soft, and highly variable in color. Colors range from nearly black to pale brown to almost white.

Range

Pocket gophers are found only in the Western Hemisphere. They range from Panama in the south to Alberta in the north. With the exception of the southeastern pocket gopher, they occur throughout the western two-thirds of the United States. 

Plains pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius) are found in the central plains from Canada south through Texas and Louisiana. Botta’s (or valley) pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) are found in most of the southern half of the western United States. 

Northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) range throughout most of the states in the northern half of the western United States. Yellow-faced pocket gophers (Pappogeomys castanops) occur from Mexico, along the western edge of Texas, eastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, and into the panhandle of Oklahoma. 

Southeastern pocket gophers (Geomys pinetis) are found in northern and central Florida, southern Georgia, and southeastern Alabama. Southern pocket gophers (Thomomys umbrinu) range primarily in Central America, but occur in extreme southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona. 

Desert pocket gophers (Geomys arenarius) occur only in southwestern New Mexico and the extreme western edge of Texas. Mazama pocket gophers (Thomomys mazama), mountain pocket gophers (Thomomys monticola), and Camas pocket gophers (Thomomys bulbivorus) have more limited distributions in the extreme western United States. 

Damage Caused by Gophers

Gopher Damage

Several mammals are sometimes confused with pocket gophers because of variations in common local terminology. In addition, in the southeastern United States, pocket gophers are called “salamanders,” (derived from the term sandy mounder). Pocket gophers can be distinguished from the other mammals by their tell-tale signs as well as by their appearance. Pocket gophers leave soil mounds on the surface of the ground. The mounds are usually fan-shaped and tunnel entrances are plugged, keeping various intruders out of burrows. 

Damage caused by gophers includes destruction of underground utility cables and irrigation pipe, direct consumption and smothering of forage by earthen mounds, and change in species composition on rangelands by providing seedbeds (mounds) for invading annual plants. Gophers damage trees by stem girdling and clipping, root pruning, and possibly root exposure caused by burrowing. Gopher mounds dull and plug sickle bars when harvesting hay or alfalfa, and soil brought to the surface as mounds is more likely to erode. In irrigated areas, gopher tunnels can channel water runoff, causing loss of surface irrigation water. Gopher tunnels in ditch banks and earthen dams can weaken these structures, causing water loss by seepage and piping through a bank or the complete loss or washout of a canal bank. The presence of gophers also increases the likelihood of badger activity, which can also cause considerable damage.

Control Methods

One of the best ways to control Pocket Gophers is with Traps. The Macabee Gopher Trap was devised on practical principles. It has been termed the "Most Reliable" gopher trap on the market. There are more Macabee gopher traps sold today than all other gopher traps combined. When properly set, they have been found to catch 18 out of 20 gophers. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture uses the Macabee throughout the country as they've found it to be a highly effective.

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