FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Did you know that many animals choose to live in underground burrows rather than outside? One such group of animals are the pocket gophers who belong to the family Geomyidae. There are six genera with 35 different species of pocket gophers. This animal group is endemic to different areas of North America and Central America. The only interaction that this animal may have with humans is through the mounds or pocket gopher holes left behind as it creates a burrow. This animal mainly feeds on tubers and roots of plants. The strong and long front teeth of a gopher allows it to burrow in the soil as well as to eat even the toughest of plants. As humans often consider this animal to be a pest, mounds are hunted to get rid of them which has led to a decline in their population.
Do you mean to learn more interesting pocket gopher facts? Keep on reading to find out more about them. Also, check out our articles on southern short-tailed shrew and Syrian hamster for interesting facts about these animals.
Pocket gophers are a type of burrowing rodent.
Pocket Gophers belong to the class Mammalia and to the family Geomyidae.
Pocket gophers are a group of 35 species. The population does differ between various species that are a part of the family. Most gopher species are extensively found in their native places, but there are some exceptions, like the Michoacan pocket gopher that is listed as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. There is no exact estimate of the number of gophers present worldwide.
Pocket gophers are endemic to North and Central America.
Pocket gophers spend most of their time underground however, they generally prefer habitats like deserts, farmlands, golf courses, and riparian (coastal) areas. Pocket gophers belonging to the Geomys genera are especially known for being fossorial as they live in elaborate burrows. Gophers prefer these places as they can be easily burrowed into. The elaborate burrows of a pocket gopher can measure anywhere around 200-2,000 sq ft (18-185 sq m).
Pocket gophers are solitary animals and they prefer to live alone. However, female pocket gophers will share their burrow space with young gophers. It has also been noted that there are times when gophers may share their tunnel space with other species who live in tunnels.
The average lifespan of a pocket gopher is around three to five years.
Pocket gophers are solitary animals, so the animals only come together during the breeding season. Pocket gophers reach sexual maturity at one year of age. Though there is no set time for reproduction, babies are usually seen between the months of March and June. Pocket gophers may have one to two litters every year containing three to four pups. Those living in southern parts may have smaller litters. The gestation period for a pocket gopher is around 18 to 19 days. However, it may take up to 51 days for a plains pocket gopher. Pocket gophers are usually polygamous in nature.
Most pocket gopher species are listed as of Least Concern in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List except for some species such as the tropical pocket gopher and the Michoacan pocket gopher that are listed as Endangered. However, as Gophers are perceived as pests, different pocket gopher control methods are used as pest management. Some even sabotage pocket gopher mounds or use pocket gopher bait by using plant tubers to lure these animals towards traps that are meant for rodents.
It is important to know more about the appearance of a gopher to understand the animal and its way of life. You should remember that there are 35 species of pocket gophers, so the size of a pocket gopher will differ according to its classification. A pocket gopher is usually classified as being small-medium-sized. Most pocket gophers do look alike because of their small eyes and ears. Even though their eyes are tiny, these animals aren't blind.
One of the most striking things about a pocket gopher is its front teeth. Most gophers have grooves in their teeth, except for the western pocket gophers, who are known as the smooth-toothed pocket gopher. Another unique thing about western pocket gophers is that this species uses their front teeth while digging to make burrows.
Pocket gophers have a short brown coat all over its body. The dusty and earthy color of its coat helps them to easily camouflage with their surroundings. It is also hard to find a pocket gopher even in its burrows and tunnels. Gophers are found with cheek pouches that give the animal its iconic name. Pocket gophers have strong limbs, especially their front limbs that help them when digging burrows and tunnels. These animals also have a small, sparsely haired tail that is quite sensitive.
Pocket gophers aren't usually deemed as cute and they are usually given the title of being one of the hardest pests to control. However, if you have a look at the big front teeth of gophers along with their small eyes and ears you are bound to find the animal cute.
Pocket gophers communicate by using the scent of their deposited feces. It helps a gopher to stay away from its neighbor's burrow and mounds. It is also proposed that pocket gophers communicate via seismic vibrations. This process might be helpful for a pocket gopher tunnel system as most gophers stay in the underground burrow tunnels. Another form of communication is teeth-clacking which is prevalent among pocket gophers.
When we look at an average size of all the species of pocket gophers, the head to body length is around 6-14 in (15-35.5 cm). The tail length of pocket gophers is around 1–2 in (2.5-5 cm). The giant pocket gopher is the largest among all the species, and it can sometimes reach up to a length of 11 in (28cm). The mole, another common burrowing animal species, are smaller than pocket gophers as it manages to grow to a size of 4.4-6.2 in (11.3-15.9 cm) with an additional tail length of 1-1.6 in (2.5-4 cm).
No conclusive data can be found about the running speed of pocket gophers. However, these animals are great at digging and burrowing. Pocket gophers may only take an hour to dig an underground tunnel of 3-5 ft (0.9-1.5m), depending on the conditions of the soil.
The average weight of a pocket gopher is anywhere around 0.5-2.2 lb (0.2-1 kg).
There are no separate names for males and females of this species.
A baby pocket gopher is called a 'pup'.
A pocket gopher diet is herbivorous in nature, and the animals mainly sustain themselves on plants. The nature of things that pocket gophers eat has given rise to conflict between these rodents and human beings. Pocket Gophers can end up rampaging and digging through gardens destroying several plants. All the species of this group are also fond of munching on tuber roots or root vegetables as part of their diet. Pocket gophers use their cheek pouches or pockets for initial food storage and take it back to their burrow tunnels. These animals also have feeding sections in the tunnel-shaped burrows for effective food storage. Gophers are active throughout the day.
You will seldom come across pocket gophers as these animals are most often in their elaborate underground burrow tunnels. However, if you happen to catch one in your garden, handle it with care as a sudden meeting can make it aggressive and you can end up with a bad bite. If you are struggling with pests, try using pocket gopher trapping to catch it. To trap them, you will need to find fresh mounds and place a rodent trap on its top and cover it with soil. Gophers will fall for the pocket gopher trap while trying to access the burrow.
It is advised against keeping pocket gophers as pets as these animals are considered wild animals. As solitary and non-social wild animals, pocket gophers can seldom adapt to the human habitat. A pocket gopher habitat is starkly different, and it lives inside burrow tunnels by digging into the ground. Hence, even you have caught one using pocket gopher traps, it would be best to leave it alone. Keeping a pocket gopher pet is also illegal in several areas.
Even though we cannot highlight all of the 35 types of pocket gophers that are known to us, here are some that you cannot miss. The common ones include the southeastern pocket gopher, the eastern pocket gopher, the Texas pocket gopher, and the Botta's pocket gopher.
There is an internet protocol by the name of 'Gopher protocol' that was created in Minnesota and named after pocket gophers.
The flattened and elongated pocket gopher skull allows it to squeeze through burrows and tunnels quite efficiently. Their long front teeth also allow the animal to feed on plants as quickly as possible. Another important thing is their fur-lined cheek pouches or pockets that allow the animal to carry food to their tunnels quite effectively. As a part of the family Geomyidae, the front limbs and claws of a pocket gopher allow them to dig through soil. The sensitive whiskers of a pocket gopher also allow it to learn more about its environment.
Pocket gophers got their name from the pockets or large fur-lined cheek pouches present in the rodents. The origin of the word 'gopher' is still uncertain, but some suggest that it has been lent from the French word 'gaufre', which stands for 'waffle'. They think it may represent the honeycomb-like or waffle-like pattern of a gopher's tunnels.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including dormouse, or Roborovski dwarf hamster.
You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Pocket gopher coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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