Northern Pocket Gopher
Thomomys talpoides
Summary 4
The northern pocket gopher, Thomomys talpoides, was first discovered by Lewis and Clark on April 9, 1805 at the mouth of the Knife River, North Dakota. These animals are often rich brown or yellowish brown, but also grayish or closely approaching local soil color and have white markings under chin. They also weigh less than a quarter of a pound (110 grams).
Description 5
Of all North American pocket gophers, the Northern Pocket Gopher has the widest distribution, across most of the western United States and south-central Canada, and it occurs in the greatest variety of habitats. Only habitats with closed canopy and sparse groundcover are avoided. Northern Pocket Gophers are prodigious diggers, using both their front feet and their ever-growing incisors. Their burrow systems are elaborate, and depending on where they are, can be beneficial, aerating the soil, or a real problem for farmers.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World
Click here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account
Sources and Credits
- (c) Picasa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://lh5.ggpht.com/-SSEgDUrQXuk/TtHJ-LPv7-I/AAAAAAAAazQ/3s6NkfWVi6Q/s1024/Northern%252520Pocket%252520Gopher.JPG
- (c) Kenneth Bader, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kenneth Bader
- (c) Matthew O'Donnell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Matthew O'Donnell
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomomys_talpoides
- (c) Smithsonian Institution, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/6625829
