The plains pocket gopher is but 1 of 35 species of pocket gophers, named in reference to their externally located, fur-lined cheek pouches. These rodents face the threats of urban sprawl and lawn-centric landscaping which reduces the available natural grassland. Farming as well as continuous plowing destroys underground systems and shrinks their usable habitat niches. Seen as a pest, farmers as well as property owners typically persecute and trap these critters because their burrowing tends to damage crop roots and lawns. Climate change can cause rapid snowmelt combined with a rising water table which can flood burrows and causes a sharp local population decline. Fleas, lice, mites, and ticks infest gophers, however their direct impact on overall mortality varies from locale to locale. Despite these threats, these rodents are abundant throughout their range and thus listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Their population trend is listed as stable.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Geomys bursarius
Weight: Up to 1 lb.
Length: Up to 14 inches, including up to a 4.7 inch tail
Lifespan: Up to 5 years
Now on to the Facts!
1.) They’re burrowing animals that dwell among grasslands and agricultural lands across the Great Plains of North America, from Manitoba down to Texas.
2.) There are 8 subspecies currently recognized: G. b illinoensis, G. b. industrius, G. b. major, G. b. majusculus, G. b. missouriensis, G. b. ozarkensis, G. b. wisconsinensis, and G. b. bursarius.
3.) They have been around for 2.58 million years, since the late Pleistocene epoch.
4.) These rodents have a high tolerance for low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels, as well as a decreased need for water intake.
5.) Pocket gophers are sexually dimorphic in that males are significantly larger than females.
But wait, there’s more on the plains pocket gopher!
6.) They have a preference for deep, sandy, friable soils with which to facilitate their burrowing lifestyle and herbivorous (eat plant matter) diet.
7.) Roots, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, and aboveground grasses and forbs are all on the menu.
Did you know…?
Pocket gophers are among the most highly fossorial (spend most or all of their lives underground) rodents dwelling in North America.
8.) Tunnels can be up to 12 inches deep and up to 164 feet long.
9.) Their burrows are shared with numerous species of insects, such as flies, scarab beetles, burrowing beetles, and crickets.
10.) Being solitary, seldom do they explore burrows inhabited by other gophers, although they occasionally investigate those that have been previously abandoned.
But wait, there’s still more on the plains pocket gopher!
11.) Females undergo up to a 51 day gestation (pregnancy) that yields up to 6 pups, up to twice a year.
12.) The pups develop fur in up to 10 days, open their eyes at up to 21 days, and are weaned by 35 days of age.
13.) Badgers, coyotes, feral cats, dogs, foxes, gopher snakes, kingsnakes, rattlesnakes, hawks, and owls all prey on these rodents.
Now a Short Plains Pocket Gopher Video!
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Some source material acquired from: Wikipedia & IUCN
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