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What are Gophers?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Gophers are burrowing rodents in the family Geomyidae found across much of North America. In the garden, gophers can be a devastating nuisance, and most people treat them as pests, using a variety of pest control techniques to deal with gophers. These rodents vary in size, with some specimens reaching a weight of up to two pounds (almost one kilogram), and they are extremely adaptable, being found in cities as well as rural areas.

One very distinctive feature of the gopher is the pouch which surrounds both sides of the face. The pouch gives gophers a puffy faced look which makes them very recognizable. Gophers use this pouch to carry food back to their larders, building up significant hoards of food. Some people refer to gophers as “pocket gophers” in a reference to this pouch.

Woman with hand on her hip
Woman with hand on her hip

Gophers spend the bulk of their lives underground, living relatively solitary lives except during breeding season. They use their very large incisors to dig, and they have short, stubby tails which they can use to sense the environment behind them, along with small, weak eyes, as vision is not terribly useful underground. Most gophers are brownish in color, blending in with the dirt they call home.

Obviously, tunnels under a garden or lawn are going to be a problem, causing soil subsidence and potentially causing people to injure themselves by twisting their ankles. Gophers also greatly enjoy eating plants, roots, and bulbs, however, and this is where the bulk of gopher damage is done. Once gophers settle into a garden, they can destroy the plants in relatively short order, which can be quite frustrating and depressing for gardeners.

There are a number of ways to deal with gophers. Many people like to use gopher traps, using the small mounds produced by gophers when they surface to find their tunnels, and then inserting a baited trap into the hole. Some gardeners also tamp down gopher mounds in an attempt to trap them underground before flooding the holes or inserting flares, which generate a great deal of smoke, potentially suffocating the gophers. Some gardeners also use poison, although this is not advised, as poisons can potentially hurt animals which predate on gophers.

For a serious gopher infestation, it sometimes help to call in a pest control company, which has industrial strength tools to deal with the problem. It can also help to garden in raised beds protected with mesh underneath, and gardeners sometimes also plant a border of gopher spurge, a plant which exudes a milky sap which gophers apparently dislike.

Frequently Asked Questions

What exactly are gophers, and where can they be found?

Gophers are small, burrowing rodents primarily found in North and South America. They inhabit areas with soft, easily-digable soil, such as prairies, woodlands, and coastal regions. Their presence is often indicated by the distinctive mounds of dirt they create while constructing their underground tunnels.

How do gophers affect the environment and ecosystems?

Gophers play a complex role in ecosystems. They aerate the soil and improve nutrient distribution with their burrowing activities, which can benefit plant growth. However, they can also damage plants and trees by feeding on roots and may disrupt human agricultural activities, leading to a mixed impact on the environment.

What do gophers eat, and how does their diet impact their habitat?

Gophers are herbivores, primarily feeding on roots, tubers, and other plant materials they encounter while digging. Their diet can lead to the destruction of crops and ornamental plants, but it also helps control plant overgrowth and contributes to soil turnover, which can be beneficial for certain habitats.

Are gophers solitary animals, and how do they reproduce?

Gophers are generally solitary creatures, except during breeding seasons. They can breed multiple times a year, with females producing litters of around 3-4 young after a gestation period of about a month. This high reproductive rate can lead to rapid population growth in favorable conditions.

What natural predators do gophers have, and how do they protect themselves?

Gophers have several natural predators, including snakes, birds of prey, and mustelids. They rely on their keen sense of hearing and their complex tunnel systems to protect themselves. The tunnels have specific chambers for nesting, food storage, and waste, allowing gophers to remain mostly underground and out of predators' reach.

How can the presence of gophers be managed in residential areas?

Managing gophers in residential areas involves habitat modification, exclusion, and sometimes removal. Reducing irrigation and planting gopher-resistant vegetation can make environments less attractive to them. Physical barriers, like underground fencing, can protect gardens, and live trapping followed by relocation is a humane control method for persistent gopher problems.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AllThingsNature researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a AllThingsNature researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

DinoLeash

@stormyknight: Here’s an interesting fact about gophers: They can exert up to 18,000 pounds per square inch with their bite! That’s one heck of a bite!

googie98

@stormyknight: Gophers are often confused with moles and voles but they are actually very different. Even though gophers are considered a pest, they are pretty remarkable animals. One single pocket gopher can dig a burrow system consisting of around 200 yards of tunnel in one year. Doing this, they can move over 2 tons of soil.

Most gophers have about one litter per year. Pocket gophers usually have 2. Some gophers living in the western United States breed all year long. Litters range from 1 to 10. The average litter consists of 3 to 4 babies.

StormyKnight

I am doing a biology project on different types of animals that create problems for people and I chose gophers. Does anyone have any more detailed information about the gopher that I might could use?

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