What Does a Gopher Look Like? Detailed Guide and Facts

Gophers are small furry animals which belong to the rodent’s family. They live underground. They are experts in digging the burrows and tunnels. People do not understand the distinction between gophers and their other types. Because they belong to the same family. 

But in this article you will read about gopher appearance and their signs. It will help you to detect gophers in your yard. You will also discover the interesting facts about gophers and destruction due to their existence.

Physical Appearance of Gopher

Gophers are small, stocky and borrowing rodents. Gophers have a flat head with a short neck. They are also known as pocket gophers due to having pouches in their cheeks to carry food. Gophers have small ears and eyes, short legs and furry tails.

Their colour may be grey, brown or black depending upon their native soil. They have yellow front teeth and large claws on paws that are used for digging. Their teeth are visible even if their mouth is closed.

Gophers are found in north and central America. They live in grassland, domestic lawn, prairies and agriculture fields.  They eat underground parts of plants such as roots, tubers and bulbs.

How You can Identify gophers in your yard?

Gophers spend most of their time underground. They are less visible in yards. That’s why detecting them is very difficult.

You can identify gophers by their signs which are given below:

Tunnels

One of the important signs of gopher activity is tunnels. If you look at the visible tunnels or holes, it indicates the presence of gophers. Tunnels are largely deep below the surface. Gophers eat underground parts of plants from their tunnels.

If tunnels are visible, it means gophers are doing some work such as searching for food. They close their tunnels after finishing their work to protect themselves from predators.

Mounds

If you notice several mounds overnight especially after watering the lawn. It may be a signal to active gophers. When gophers make tunnels, they leave mounds behind. Gophers mounds are crescent or fan-shaped. These mounds are built when gophers push the dirt up from underground tunnels. Mounds make your lawn uneven and ugly.

Soft or sinking soil

You will feel soft or spongy areas in your yard. This is because the tunnels created by gophers weaken the soil. Your lawn soil will be soft or sinking continuously as long as gophers create tunnels or mounds. Gophers activity makes the soil unstable. In weak or sinking soil, plants can’t grow properly.

Wilting Plants

Gophers feed on the green plants or the roots of plants. When gophers eat their roots, plants become wilt. Because water and nutrient supply is cut off. Entire plants are lean, collapse and pull out from under ground due to gopher activity.

Amazing Facts About Gopher

Following are the amazing facts about gophers which you never know are given below:

1. There are 34 numbers of pocket gopher species.

2. Gophers average size is almost 5-14 inches long including 1-2 inches tail.

3. The average life span of gophers in the wild is 1- 3 years.

4. Gopher lips are adapted in such a way that they close their lips behind their incisor. They dig the soil without entering the dirt into their mouths.

5. Gophers use their tails for navigation. When they move backward in their tunnels.

6. Gophers move out their cheek pockets from inside for cleaning purposes.

7. Gophers have poor hearing or eyesight. They use their sense of touch for their survival. Their tail is also helpful for feeling nearby things in surroundings.

Destruction created due to gopher activity

Gophers have furry bodies and innocent looking faces. But they can create extensive damage to the lawn, gardens and infrastructure through their activities. Gophers chew underground pipes, utility cables, sprinkler systems and drainage pipes. It causes expensive repairs.

Gopher eats the roots of plants, herbs, shrubs, bulbs and tubers. As a result plants become wilt or die. Mounds, tunnels, utility damage, dying plants and weakened soil are created by gopher. All these things make your lawn or landscape unstable and ugly.

Final Thoughts

Gophers are cylindrical bodied animals with flat heads, short neck and strong legs. They have small pockets for carrying food, tiny eyes, ears and tail. They may be in brownish or blackish colour. Tunnels, mounds, weakened soil, utility damage and plants damage are few signs.

These signs indicate the presence of gopher activity. If you notice these signs in your yard, you need to control them. Because their existence can create destruction. If you want to get rid of them, you should contact professional gopher control services.

FAQs

What Animals Eat Gopher?

Gopher are eaten by several predators such as Snakes (bullsnakes and rattlesnakes), Foxes, Badgers, Hawks, Owls and Weasels. Snakes and Weasels entering in gopher borrows. Hawks and Owles hunt gophers above the ground to control the population.

Should I Worry About a Gopher in My Yard?

Yes, you should be concerned about gophers. Because gophers can destroy your lawn beauty by eating plants. They chew irrigation pipes and utility cables which are buried underground. They also cause diseases.

Is a Gopher a Rodent or a Rat?

A gopher is a rodent not a rat. Gophers are borrowing rodents. They are named from fur-lined cheek pouches which are used to carry food. Other rodents also have pouches but they open outside.