Backyard Challenges, Entrance Stage Right, the Ubiquitous Pocket Gopher

Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents that live underground almost all the time (come out come out so I can kill you). They are so named because of their large external fur-lined cheek pouches, one on either side of the head. These pouches or "pockets" are used for carrying food (they are really quite ugly). They are well equipped for a digging, tunneling lifestyle with powerfully built forequarters, large-clawed front paws, fine short fur that doesn't cake in wet soils, small eyes and small external ears, and highly sensitive facial whiskers to assist movements in the dark. An unusual adaptation is the gopher's lips, which can be closed behind the four large incisor teeth to keep dirt out of its mouth when it is using its teeth for digging (They would have been helpful in the Steve McQueen Movie, the Great Escape).

Mounds of fresh soil are the best sign of gopher presence (Lara’s rose garden is a good example of a feast for this latest intruder into the yard as mounds have begun to spring up). These mounds are formed as the gopher digs its tunnel and pushes the loose dirt to the surface. Typically mounds are crescent or horseshoe-shaped when viewed from above. The hole, which is off to one side of the mound, is usually plugged. Mole mounds are sometimes mistaken for gopher mounds (No, this is an evil furry gopher). Mole mounds, however, appear circular and have a plug in the middle that may not be distinct; in profile they are volcano-shaped. Unlike gophers, moles commonly burrow just beneath the surface, leaving a raised ridge to mark their path (Are you coming out yet? I need to use my masochistic instincts to rid you of Lara’s garden).

One gopher may create several mounds in a day. In non-irrigated areas, mound building is most pronounced during spring or fall when the soil is moist and easy to dig (Yes it is Spring in California and the furry varmint is back to haunt the tasty garden). In irrigated areas such as lawns, flowerbeds, and gardens, digging conditions are usually optimal year round and mounds can appear at any time. In snowy regions, gophers create burrows in the snow, resulting in long, earthen cores on the surface when the snow melts.

Gophers feed on roots, stems, and leaves (and Lara’s roses). They prefer forbs to grasses, but they will eat both. Some preferred forbs include alfalfa, dandelion, and prickly pear cactus. They generally will move out of fields that are tilled annually because such places lack sufficient food (There is sufficient food here in this beautiful garden, Stay Away!).

Losses caused by gophers typically involve damage to or destruction of plants. Forage crops, such as alfalfa, can sustain heavy damage because of gopher feeding and mound-building. A single gopher moving down a garden row can inflict considerable damage in a very short time. Gophers also gnaw and damage plastic water lines and lawn sprinkler systems. Their tunnels can divert and carry off irrigation water and lead to soil erosion. Mounds on lawns interfere with mowing equipment and ruin the aesthetics of well-kept turf grass.
Kaput Gopher Bait, where this information on our furry varmint friends came from, will be applied and an update on these evil furries will be disseminated on the Backyard Challenges Blog, I mean Backyard Adventures Blog. Stay tuned!