Gopher is a small mammal that lives in long, underground tunnels. Gophers dig the tunnels with the large claws of the front feet, and with their front teeth. They move slowly and spend most of their time alone in the dark tunnels, which may be as long as 800 feet (240 meters). They usually keep other gophers from entering the tunnels, except in the breeding season.
Gophers live in all regions of North America, except the far north and the east. They are also called pocket gophers because they have fur-lined pouches on the outsides of their cheeks. Pocket gophers grow about 10 inches (25 centimeters) long. They have short legs, a broad, blunt head, small ears and eyes, and a short tail. The nearly hairless tail is tactile—that is, it serves as an organ of touch. Gophers feel their way with the tail when they back up in a tunnel. Gophers vary in color from reddish-brown to slate gray. They eat buds, farm vegetables, grass, nuts, and roots. They carry food in their cheek pouches. The digging of gophers breaks up tightly packed soil and thus can help promote the growth of plants. Gophers are rodents and belong to the same order as beavers, mice, and squirrels.
See also Woodchuck.
