About 41 species of pocket gophers, burrowing rodents of North and Central America named for their fur-lined cheek pouches. They spend nearly all their time in their own tunnel systems and are notorious for damaging farms, lawns and gardens.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?Can be
Usually flees, but if cornered it may attack cats and people and can inflict serious bites.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Day & night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inNorth America, Central America, South America
HabitatFarmland, Towns
ColoursBrown, Grey
SizeTiny
Length15–20 cm, plus a 2.5–5 cm tail
WeightUsually about 200 g; a few species near 1 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for1–3 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- North and Central America, from Canada through the US and Mexico to Panama and Colombia.
- What it eats
- Plant roots, shrubs and juicy vegetables such as carrots, lettuce and radishes.
Did you know
Carries food in fur-lined cheek pouches that it can turn inside out to empty.
Its cheek pouches reach back to the shoulders and can be turned inside out to empty them.
It uses its short, hairy tail to feel its way when walking backwards through tunnels.
Often confused with
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