112 . . . . . . The Pocket Gopher. 



a period of years and the surface scraping given by the harrow 

 or disk does not in the least disturb these burrowing rodents. 

 Consequently vigilance on the part of every landowner and 

 cooperation with his neighbor nothing short of this will rid 

 a community of the pocket gopher. We cannot hope to ex- 

 terminate the animal, for the conditions under which he lives 

 are such as to render extermination practically impossible. 

 Like mice and rats, the gopher is probably with us to stay. 

 But the farmers of any community, as well as any individual 

 landowner, can secure immunity from the ravages of the pest 

 at little cost of time and labor. More than one thrifty farmer 

 has assured me that if one keeps careful watch of his acres, 

 the career of any invading pocket gopher can be nipped short 

 at an expenditure of time totaling not more than a few hours 

 a year. The history of the prairie-dog and his elimination 

 from the agricultural problems of western Kansas well illus- 

 trates what can be done in the case of the gopher. It is no 

 longer a matter of seeking a solution for the gopher problem. 

 Solutions are at hand, but we are lacking in persistence and 

 cooperation. 



DESCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION. 



The common gopher, Geomys bursariiis, belongs to a family 

 of rodents differing in many respects from that including the 

 squirrels. The term "gopher" should therefore not be ap- 

 plied either to the little striped ground squirrel of our prairies 

 or to the larger gray burrowing squirrel, Franklin's spermo- 

 phile. 



General Appearance. Our true gopher is a short, thick-set 

 fellow, with capacious external cheek pockets. These are 

 wholly outside of the mouth, and are lined with fine soft hair 

 of a lighter shade than that covering the body. The latter is 

 dark brown in color, lighter beneath, and so soft and silky that 

 it is not readily soiled by contact with damp earth. Some- 

 times there are white patches of various sizes about the nose 

 and throat. Occasionally a pure white specimen is taken. The 

 tail is short and scantily covered with hair. The bead-like 

 eyes are about as large as a No. 5 shot, and external ears are 

 likewise not much in evidence. The incisor teeth are long and 

 prominent, the upper pair being grooved longitudinally. 



Size. The adult animal varies somewhat in size in different 



