Botta's Pocket Gopher
ExploreMammals
Botta's Pocket Gopher
Megascapheus bottae
Botta's Pocket Gopher is a small, burrowing animal that lives underground. They have big cheek pouches to carry food and are great diggers, making tunnels in the soil.
Habitat: Grasslands
Appearance
The Botta's Pocket Gopher is a stocky rodent with short legs, a small head, and a short, sparsely haired tail. It has yellowish-brown to dark brown fur, often matching its local soil, and distinctive external, fur-lined cheek pouches on each side of its mouth.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderRodentiaFamilyGeomyidaeGenusThomomys
Category
MammalsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
2
Interesting facts
A single gopher can move a ton of soil in just one year!
Gophers build special 'pantry' tunnels just for storing extra food!
Their front teeth grow constantly, just like human fingernails!
They can run backward almost as fast as they can run forward!
Special abilities
Ability
Pocket Power
Botta's Pocket Gopher can carry large amounts of food in its external, fur-lined cheek pouches that helps them transport provisions back to their burrows.
Ability
Earth Mover
Botta's Pocket Gopher can dig elaborate tunnel systems rapidly with its strong front claws and powerful teeth, which helps them create homes and find food underground.
Ability
Self-Sealing Mouth
Botta's Pocket Gopher has lips that can close behind its front teeth, which helps them dig without swallowing soil.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 15-25 cm
- Weight
- 0.15-0.25 kg
- Lifespan
- 1-3 years
- Top Speed
- 8 km/h
- Litter Size
- 1-10
- Gestation
- 18-19 days
Diet & Feeding
Botta's Pocket Gophers are underground herbivores, mainly munching on roots, tubers, and other plants.
Primary Foods
- roots
- tubers
- bulbs
- grasses
- forbs
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
eaten by
Coyote
Canis latrans
A common predator that digs gophers out of their burrows.
eaten by
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Hunts gophers when they venture above ground.
eaten by
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Slithers into burrows to hunt gophers underground.
eaten by
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
A powerful digger that excavates gophers from their tunnels.
Traits
Furry
Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
Burrowing
Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding.
Grassland
Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
Herbivorous
This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
Keystone Species
Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
Nocturnal
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the nighttime hours, typically resting or sleeping during the day.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
It's best to watch these gophers from a distance and not disturb their homes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify Botta's Pocket Gopher?
The easiest way to identify Botta's Pocket Gopher is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is Botta's Pocket Gopher?
15-25 cm
How much does Botta's Pocket Gopher weigh?
0.15-0.25 kg
How long does Botta's Pocket Gopher live?
1-3 years
How fast can Botta's Pocket Gopher move?
8 km/h
What does Botta's Pocket Gopher eat?
Botta's Pocket Gophers are underground herbivores, mainly munching on roots, tubers, and other plants.
Where is Botta's Pocket Gopher usually found?
Grasslands
How does Botta's Pocket Gopher hunt?
Foraging
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