Gopher

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Pocket gophers
Temporal range: Chadronian–present [1]
Pocket-Gopher Ano-Nuevo-SP.jpg
Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Superfamily: Geomyoidea
Family: Geomyidae
Bonaparte, 1845
Type genus
Geomys
Rafinesque, 1817
Genera

Cratogeomys
Geomys
Heterogeomys
Orthogeomys
Pappogeomys
Thomomys
Zygogeomys

Diversity
Around 41 species in 7 genera

Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. [2] The roughly 41 species [3] are all endemic to North and Central America. [4] 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 within the family Geomyidae. These are the "true" gophers, but several ground squirrels in the distantly related family Sciuridae are often called "gophers", as well. The origin of the word "gopher" is uncertain; the French gaufre, meaning waffle, has been suggested, on account of the gopher tunnels resembling the honeycomb-like pattern of holes in a waffle; [5] another suggestion is that the word is of Muskogean origin. [6]

A typical pocket gopher Pocket gopher.jpg
A typical pocket gopher

Description

Pocket gophers weigh around 200 g (1⁄2 lb), and are about 15–20 cm (6–8 in) in body length, with a tail 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) long. A few species reach weights approaching 1 kg (2.2 lb). Within any species, the males are larger than the females, and can be nearly double their weight. [7]

Average lifespans are one to three years. [8] The maximum lifespan for the pocket gopher is about five years. [9] Some gophers, such as those in the genus Geomys , have lifespans that have been documented as up to seven years in the wild. [8]

Most gophers have brown fur that often closely matches the color of the soil in which they live. Their most characteristic features are their large cheek 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 including, most commonly, lice, but also ticks, fleas, and mites. [8] Common predators of the gopher include weasels, snakes, and hawks. [10]

Behavior

All pocket gophers create a network of tunnel 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 ground squirrels, 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. [11] 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.

Gophers eat plant roots, shrubs, and other vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, radishes, and any other vegetables with juice. [12] 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 in communities of r-selected 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. [13]

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. [14]

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.

Attwater's pocket gopher (Geomys attwateri) from Colorado County, Texas, US Attwater's Pockrt Gopher (5A) Weishuhn Rd. Colorado Co. TX; 12 May 2014.jpg
Attwater's pocket gopher (Geomys attwateri) from Colorado County, Texas, US

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.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smooth-toothed pocket gopher</span> Genus of mammals

The smooth-toothed pocket gophers, genus Thomomys, are so called because they are among the only pocket gophers without grooves on their incisors. They are also called the western pocket gophers because they are distributed in western North America. They are considered distinct enough from other pocket gophers to be recognized as a separate subfamily or tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazama pocket gopher</span> Species of mammal

The Mazama pocket gopher is a smooth-toothed pocket gopher restricted to the Pacific Northwest. The herbivorous species ranges from coastal Washington, through Oregon, and into north-central California. Four subspecies of the Mazama Pocket Gopher are classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, including T. m. pugetensis, T. m. tumuli , T. m. glacialis, and T. m. yelmensis. The Mazama Pocket Gopher is one of the smallest of 35 species in the pocket gopher family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-faced pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

The yellow-faced pocket gopher is a species of pocket gopher that is native to shortgrass prairies in the south-western United States and northern Mexico. It is the species that lives north of the Southern Coahuila Filter-Barrier (SCFB). Among the different species, the yellow-faced pocket gopher has a small to medium-sized skull. The fossil of this genus was recorded from the pre-Pleistocene Benson Beds of Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southeastern pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

The southeastern pocket gopher is a species of pocket gopher that is native to the southeastern United States. It occurs in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, where it is the only pocket gopher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Desert pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

The desert pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in the state of Chihuahua in Mexico and in Texas and New Mexico in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plains pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

The plains pocket gopher is one of 35 species of pocket gophers, so named in reference to their externally located, fur-lined cheek pouches. They are burrowing animals, found in grasslands and agricultural land across the Great Plains of North America, from Manitoba to Texas. Pocket gophers are the most highly fossorial rodents found in North America.

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 family Geomyidae. The name pocket gopher was earned for this family because of their fur lined cheek pouches that can be used for carrying food. These pouches can also be turned inside out. Species of Heterogeomys are regarded as pests, one of less than 5% of rodent species classified as pests, and the history of man's attempts to control their populations reaches back into Mayan times. Despite some efforts to the contrary, populations of Heterogeomys seem to be on a general upwards trend. Furthermore, all of the species of Heterogeomys are considered to be of Least Concern in the World Status Key.

Cherrie's pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. It is threatened by habitat loss. Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys.

The giant pocket gopher, also known as the Oaxacan pocket gopher, is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It is the type species of the genus Orthogeomys; some zoologists also include in this genus species that have recently been placed in Heterogeomys.

The hispid pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys.

Underwood's pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is endemic to Costa Rica. Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys.

Buller's pocket gopher is a species of gopher that is endemic to Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camas pocket gopher</span> Small species of burrowing rodent from Oregon

The camas pocket gopher, also known as the camas rat or Willamette Valley gopher, is a rodent, the largest member in the genus Thomomys, of the family Geomyidae. First described in 1829, it is endemic to the Willamette Valley of northwestern Oregon in the United States. The herbivorous gopher forages for vegetable and plant matter, which it collects in large, fur-lined, external cheek pouches. Surplus food is hoarded in an extensive system of tunnels. The dull-brown-to-lead-gray coat changes color and texture over the year. The mammal's characteristically large, protuberant incisors are well adapted for use in tunnel construction, particularly in the hard clay soils of the Willamette Valley. The gophers make chattering sounds with their teeth; males and females make purring sounds when they are together, and the young make twittering sounds. Born toothless, blind and hairless, the young grow rapidly before being weaned at about six weeks of age.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent in the family Geomyidae

The Idaho pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is rather small, with a lightly built skull. Its fur color varies through the body and between individuals. Found in the western United States, it inhabits savannas, shrubland, and grasslands. Individuals live alone in burrows, staying active year-round. Many aspects of its behavior and biology are not well understood. The species is classified as being of least-concern by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountain pocket gopher</span> Species of mammal

The mountain pocket gopher is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is endemic to California and Nevada. The Sierra Nevada are part of its range.

The Michoacan pocket gopher 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 numbers are declining and it is listed by the IUCN as "endangered".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baird's pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

Baird's pocket gopher or the Louisiana pocket gopher is a species of pocket gopher that is native to the southern United States. In total, there are three almost identical species of eastern pocket gopher; Geomys attwateri, G. bursarius, and G. breviceps. G. breviceps is larger in size, G. attwateri is medium-sized and G. bursarius is a bit smaller. Other than by size variation they are not identifiable by external features. Baird's pocket gophers are small rodents with most of their weight on the top half of their bodies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oriental Basin pocket gopher</span> Species of rodent

The Oriental Basin pocket gopher is a species of pocket gopher which is endemic to Mexico. It was first described in 1895 by Clinton Hart Merriam. It was considered to be a subspecies of Merriam's pocket gopher in the late 20th and early 21st century but has been reinstated as its own species. The IUCN Red List has evaluated it to be of least concern.

The Perote pocket gopher, or Cofre de Perote pocket gopher, is a species of pocket gopher in the family Geomyidae.

References

  1. ↑ Eduardo Jiménez-Hidalgo; Rosalía Guerrero-Arenas; Krister T. Smith (2018). "Gregorymys veloxikua, The Oldest Pocket Gopher (Rodentia: Geomyidae), and The Early Diversification of Geomyoidea". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 25 (3): 427–439. doi:10.1007/s10914-017-9383-z. S2CID   207195992.
  2. ↑ "ODFW, Oregon Wildlife Species: Gophers". Dfw.state.or.us. 2014-08-25. Archived from the original on 2016-02-08. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  3. 1 2 Search results for "Geomyidae" on the ASM Mammal Diversity Database.
  4. ↑ "Outwit Critters" . Retrieved 16 January 2014. There are 35 species of gophers living in both North and Central America.
  5. ↑ "Gopher - definition of gopher in English | Oxford Dictionaries". Archived from the original on 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  6. ↑ "American Heritage Dictionary Entry: gopher". Ahdictionary.com. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  7. ↑ Macdonald, David W., ed. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press. ISBN   0-19-920608-2.
  8. 1 2 3 Hygnstrom, Scott E. (2010). Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage. DIANE Publishing Inc. p. B–21. ISBN   978-1-4379-3688-9.
  9. ↑ Whisson, Delsey (2006). Small Grain Production Pt 8: Pest Management -- Vertebrates. UCANR Publications. p. 5. ISBN   1-60107-411-5.
  10. ↑ "Pocket Gophers". National Wildlife Federation. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  11. ↑ "Gopher". A-Z Animals. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  12. ↑ "Pocket Gopher FAQs". Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  13. ↑ Patton, James (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals . New York: Facts on File. pp.  628–631. ISBN   0-87196-871-1.
  14. ↑ Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 - Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms, New Zealand Government, retrieved 26 January 2012
  15. ↑ "Thirteen-lined ground squirrel". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved 6 June 2023. The 13 liner is very familiar to Minnesotans because this little animal is the mascot for the University of Minnesota's "Golden Gophers!"
  16. ↑ "Gainer punted from McMahon Stadium". Archived from the original on 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
  17. ↑ Martin, Scott (25 March 2007). The Book of Caddyshack: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Greatest Movie Ever Made. Taylor Trade Publishing. ISBN   9781589795143 – via Google Books.
  18. ↑ "The Go Gopher - The Go Blog".
  19. ↑ "Archive - The CBBC Broom Cupboard - 25 Years of live Children's BBC presentation". BBC . Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  20. ↑ TV, Guardian (6 August 2015). "Gordon's alive! Phillip Schofield's puppet sidekick is back". The Guardian .
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