Northern Pocket Gopher
ExploreMammals
Northern Pocket Gopher
Thomomys talpoides
The Northern Pocket Gopher is a small, burrowing animal with big cheeks! They use their cheeks to store food and dig tunnels underground where they live and find yummy plants to eat.
Habitat: Grasslands
Appearance
The Northern Pocket Gopher has a compact, robust body covered in brownish-grey to yellowish-brown fur. It features very small eyes and ears, large chisel-like front teeth always visible, and prominent fur-lined cheek pouches on its head.
KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderRodentiaFamilyGeomyidaeGenusThomomys
Category
MammalsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Each gopher lives all alone in a vast, secret tunnel system that can span hundreds of feet!
Gophers can create many dirt mounds in a single night, making their presence easily known above ground!
Their front teeth never stop growing, so they must constantly gnaw to keep them from getting too long!
They use their sensitive tails like a 'sixth sense' to help them back up quickly in dark, narrow tunnels!
Special abilities
Ability
Super Shovel Claws
Northern Pocket Gopher has powerful front claws that help them dig complex tunnel systems incredibly fast.
Ability
Built-in Shopping Bags
Northern Pocket Gopher can use its large external fur-lined cheek pouches to carry food back to its burrow.
Ability
Dirt-Proof Chompers
Northern Pocket Gopher can close its lips behind its incisors, allowing it to dig with its teeth without eating soil.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 18-33 cm
- Weight
- 0.1-0.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 1-5 years
- Top Speed
- 5 km/h
- Litter Size
- 3-7
- Gestation
- 18-20 days
Diet & Feeding
This gopher is a vegetarian, mainly munching on plants found underground!
Primary Foods
- roots
- tubers
- bulbs
- grasses
- forbs
Foraging Method
- Foraging
Ecological connections
hunts
American Badger
Taxidea taxus
Badgers often dig into gopher tunnels to find them.
hunts
Coyote
Canis latrans
Coyotes ambush gophers that venture above ground.
eaten by
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
These owls hunt gophers, especially at dusk and dawn.
eats
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Snakes can enter gopher burrows to hunt them.
Traits
Furry
Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
Solitary
Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
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.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Don't try to catch a gopher; they are shy and prefer to stay underground.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is Northern Pocket Gopher?
18-33 cm
How much does Northern Pocket Gopher weigh?
0.1-0.5 kg
How long does Northern Pocket Gopher live?
1-5 years
How fast can Northern Pocket Gopher move?
5 km/h
What does Northern Pocket Gopher eat?
This gopher is a vegetarian, mainly munching on plants found underground!
Where is Northern Pocket Gopher usually found?
Grasslands
How does Northern Pocket Gopher hunt?
Foraging
How many babies does Northern Pocket Gopher usually have?
3-7
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