8 NEBRASKAland • AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2017
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A Mammal
Brief
By Lindsay Rogers
Only two species
of pocket gopher are
found in Nebraska – the
northern pocket gopher,
limited to the extreme
western Panhandle, and the
plains pocket gopher, found
throughout the state. The plains pocket
gopher lives in diverse habitats, including
open grasslands, cultivated farmland and oak savannahs.
A nuisance to golfers, they can also be found in urban lawns, cemeteries and golf courses. They construct
extensive tunnel systems underground, creating the characteristic mound visible from the surface.
They are active day and night, but most digging takes place from dusk to dawn. They eat mainly fleshy roots
but will occasionally forage aboveground. They rarely drink water due to the high water content of their food
sources.
Although they are often considered a nuisance species, gophers are an ecologically important species. Not
only do they provide food for many predator species such as hawks, owls, snakes and carnivorous mammals,
but they also help aerate the soil and improve soil drainage.
■
PHOTO
BY
JOEL
SARTORE
Lindsay Rogers is an outdoor education specialist
with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
