5 Species of Gophers

The name gopher refers to a large variety of small burrowing rodents. Most gophers people are familiar with are pocket gophers in the Geomyidae family.  There are over 40 species of pocket gophers ranging from North America to Columbia.  In California, there are 5 different species of pocket gophers that make pests of themselves by invading residential homes.  Although these creatures appear cute and cuddly on TV, they can make trouble for homeowners by spreading disease and germs and by causing structural damage to buildings. When gophers are sighted in a residential home or area, a gopher control service is needed.

Botta's Pocket gopher, Thomomys bottae, is the most widespread and common of the California gophers.  This little creature ranges from about 6 to 10 inches long.  These creatures spend most of their time below ground, burrowing in tunnels.  Most homeowners become aware that they have a gopher problem from the mounds of fresh soil that will appear in the yard.  As the gopher digs his tunnel, he will push the loose dirt to the surface.  The mounds are usually crescent or horseshoe shaped.

Thomomys talpoides, the Northern Pocket gopher, is another common gopher found in California.  This gopher is typically found in the northern parts of the state around Alpine and into the eastern Sierras.  It prefers grasslands, wet meadows, croplands and riparian habitats. The northern pocket gopher feeds mostly on stems and leaves of plants, but roots make up about 25% of its diet, meaning they can cause significant damage to crops and lawns alike.

The western pocket gopher, Thomomys mazama, is also known as the Mazama pocket gopher.  This species is found in the Pacific Northwest, from Washington down into northern California.  Though considered by many to be a pest species, the pocket gophers provide a valuable service in the ecosystem, by churning soil and providing burrows for other animals such as toads.  The Mazama pocket gopher has become threatened due to habitat loss.  Once an invasion begins, proper gopher control is needed because these animals are under federal protection.

Thomomys monticola is the Mountain Pocket Gopher.  They can be found in the mountainous regions of California at an elevation over 1,545 meters.  Their habitat is meadows, pastures, and rocky slopes where pine, fir, spruce and hemlock forests thrive. Though these animals can cause damage to lawns and homes, they are essential to a healthy ecosystem since they aerate the soil with their tunneling.  Homeowners who suspect a mountain pocket gopher infestation should call a professional gopher control service to have these critters removed to a more suitable habitat.

Townsend's Pocket Gopher, Thomomys townsendii, is typically found in desert like regions of eastern California.  They thrive in deep soils, mainly those populated with sagebrush and shadscale.  They mainly consume non-woody plants like grasses and other forbs.  They are not considered threatened or endangered which makes it easier when gopher control is needed to manage a pesky population that has invaded a home lawn.

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