Are Pocket Gophers Pests? How Do I Repel Them From My Yard and Property?

Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents that play an important role in our ecosystem. By burrowing through the ground, they help aerate the soil and increase soil fertility. However, some people may think gophers are pests because they mess up their gardens and farms. Gophers are not truly pests because they are beneficial to the soil. …

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Pocket Gophers and Their Sleeping Behavior

Pocket gophers are rodents from the Geomyidae family known for their seemingly endless supply of energy. Most of North America’s 34 known species of gophers are active throughout the year. You surely would wonder where the gopher gets that seemingly unlimited energy. Many don’t know a lot about the pocket gopher’s sleeping behavior, however. These …

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How Do Pocket Gophers Protect Themselves?

By nature, pocket gophers are not aggressive animals. They are not predators nor particularly large, so they don’t get anything from fighting with other animals. When confronted with a threat, they would rather flee than fight. Some people might think that they are harmless as a result. Timid as they are, that doesn’t mean you …

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The Gopher’s Teeth, Bite, and Jaw (Questions Answered)

Gophers are fossorial (living underground) rodents that live across North and Central America. Aside from their fur-lined cheek pouches, the gopher’s yellowish large front teeth are one of their most noticeable features. One might think that a small rodent wouldn’t need sharp teeth and a powerful jaw, but that’s not the case for the gopher. …

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Groundhogs VS Prairie Dogs VS Gophers – A Comparison

Groundhogs, Prairie Dogs, and Gophers are often confused with one another because of the similarity in their appearance and digging behavior.  Even though they have highly similar features, distinguishing one from another is definitely possible. Let’s investigate the characteristics that set these animals apart from one another! Are Groundhogs, Prairie Dogs, and Gophers Related? Groundhogs, …

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Gopher Territories (Underground Turf-Wars)

The pocket gophers (Geomys bursarius) are also known to many as gophers. They are fossorial creatures named after their spacious cheek pouches that they use to carry their favorite meal or materials to their burrows. These medium-sized rodents spend most of their time digging a complex network of tunnels in the soils of North and …

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The Gopher’s Senses (Vision, Hearing, and Smell)

Gophers are furry rodents most frequently found in North and Central America. Even though considered pests, they are a crucial part of the ecosystem as they incorporate plant and fecal materials into the soil, improving its fertility. These tiny rodents are known for their digging behavior. They spend most of their time underground and hardly …

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How Gophers Move Around (Can They Climb, Jump, Swim, and Run?)

Gophers are small, furry animals found in North and Central America. They live in the woodlands and grass prairies of coastal and mountainous regions.  They are fossorial rodents that are known for their excessive underground digging and tunneling. However, can gophers also perform other locomotor activities such as climbing and jumping? Let’s explore how these …

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Sounds That Gophers Make (And What They Mean)

If you’ve seen a gopher in person and have perhaps heard noises coming from them, or have observed them being silent, you may be wondering about the sounds that gophers make and what they mean.  Gophers are usually silent, but that doesn’t mean that that’s always the case. In fact, these rodents often will produce …

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