Pocket Gopher

Observe a pocket gopher using its front teeth and foreclaws to burrow a home full of roots, stems, and tubersSee all videos for this article

pocket gopher, (family Geomyidae), any of 38 species of predominantly North and Central American rodents named for their large, fur-lined cheek pouches. The “pockets” open externally on each side of the mouth and extend from the face to the shoulders; they can be everted for cleaning. The lips can be closed behind the protruding, chisel-like upper front teeth, which thereby allows the gopher to excavate soil without ingesting it. Thickset and cylindrical, pocket gophers are 12 to 35 cm (4.7 to 13.8 inches) in body length, with a short neck, small eyes and ears, and short legs. The five front digits on each muscular foreleg bear long and powerful digging claws. The short, sparsely haired tail is sensitive and well supplied with blood vessels and nerves. Coat colour varies among species from almost white through tones of yellow and brown to black.