Plains pocket gophers stay busy just beneath your feet

There's a whole world living right below our feet, with creatures big and small preferring life underground to life up above. When we think of mammals that live their lives underground, moles, voles and woodchucks might quickly come to mind. A lesser known subterranean dweller is the plains pocket gopher, the only gopher species that lives in Illinois.

Plains pocket gophers are similar in size to a rat, but a bit stockier. They can weigh up to 1 pound, and they have short, dark fur, ranging in color from brown to black, according to Wildlife Illinois. Their bellies are lighter than their backs. They have small eyes and ears and long tails that are mostly without fur. 

On the rare instances when they are seen aboveground, pocket gophers are often mistaken for moles. The two animals do look similar, but gophers are larger than moles.

A boon to the ecosystem

Plains pocket gophers prefer sandy soils, so they are most common in the middle section of Illinois where these soils are more prevalent, according to Wildlife Illinois. They are the most widespread gopher species across North America and live across must of the Great Plains. 

Pocket gophers prefer sandy soils because they drain well, making life a little easier for these underground residents. As they tunnel through the soil, they help aerate it and also increase soil fertility, which is how they benefit the ecosystem, Wildlife Illinois reports.

As they tunnel underground, they create burrows that can be as long as 500 feet, but they don't normally dig more than 3 feet below the surface. They often burrow in open areas like fields, cemeteries, golf courses and yards. 

Plains pocket gophers leave signs of their activity, but they can often be confused with the signs left by the eastern mole. Both can create mounds of soil at the surface, but plains pocket gophers will create kidney- or fan-shaped mounds, while moles are more round and volcano like, Wildlife Illinois reports. And gophers do not create surface tunnels, while moles do.

Like other burrowing creatures, plains pocket gophers are well-suited for their digging lifestyle. They have long, curved front claws that help them dig quickly, and their whiskers and tails are both sensitive, which helps them navigate. They can also close their lips behind their teeth, which allows them to dig with their teeth without getting soil in their mouths, according to the National Wildlife Federation.

Underground herbivores

Pocket gophers are strict herbivores, and they mostly eat underground, although they may occasionally munch on some plant life while up above ground, the National Wildlife Federation reports. Because they mostly eat while down below, their primary food sources are roots and tubers from a variety of plants. 

Gophers are rodents, and like all rodents, their front incisors never stop growing. This helps with their vegetarian lifestyle because it prevents their teeth from getting too worn down from always gnawing on hard plant roots. Their flat molars also help them as they eat because they grind up the vegetation, the wildlife federation reports. These gophers don't always eat as they go, however. They have pockets on the outside of their cheeks where they can store food as they move through their burrows.

Plains pocket gophers are solitary and spend most of their time alone. They are territorial and will defend their burrows from other gophers who intrude, Wildlife Illinois reports. 

In Illinois, breeding can begin as early as January and continues through spring. Females will have one litter each year, typically with three or four babies, called pups. The females will care for the pups for five or six weeks, and the pups will stick close to the burrow for a few more weeks before leaving to establish their own territories.

Property problems

Because they are diggers, plains pocket gophers can sometimes cause problems around people's homes and farms, primarily because they can damage yards and lawns. This is another trait they share with moles. 

Pocket gophers like loose, sandy soil, so one way to discourage them from burrowing in your yard is to make it harder and more compact, which is less inviting. One effective way to do this is by using a lawn roller to pack down your soil, Wildlife Illinois reports. Keep in mind, though, that this may inhibit how the grass grows. 

Wire barriers installed in the soil around your yard can also be used to prevent damage. Because they are labor intensive to install, this practice is best used on smaller areas, Wildlife Illinois advises.

The wire mesh cloth should be buried in trenches 12 inches wide and at least 18 inches deep. At the surface, the mesh should be flush with the ground and completely covered by soil.