72 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



Irom KoJarbromr h\ M V. llo J 



POCKET GOPHER 



tion that may be in the way when he 

 needs to back up in a tunnel. The "pock- 

 ets" are fur-lined pouches in the cheeks. 

 The prominent chisel-teeth always show; 

 the lips do not cover them. The gopher 

 is able to close its lips behind them and 

 thus keep the dirt out of its mouth when 

 it uses the teeth to aid in digging. 



The gopher has a heavy head and 

 broad face, not pointed and stream- 

 lined as in the mole. The gopher's eyes 

 and ears are small but they are easily 

 visible and much larger than those of 

 the mole. The forefeet of the gopher are 

 equipped with strong digging claws but 

 are not modified into "paddles" as in the 

 mole. The gopher's fur is short and 

 smooth, but not plush-like (reversible) 

 as in the mole. 



There may be confusion as to the iden- 

 tity of the workings of the two. When 

 mole runways are just at the surface, the 

 earth is always cracked. In winter, pock- 

 et gophers tunnel in the snow and pack 

 some of these with earth from the deeper 

 burrows so that a solid core is formed. 

 When the snow melts, these "cores" are 

 lowered to the surface of the ground 

 and remain like giant "earthworms." 

 These are often mistaken for the work 

 of the mole. The mole builds a symmet- 

 rical mound of earth from below by 

 pushing it up through the hole, never 

 leaving it open or showing himself in the 

 process (p. 5 8). The gopher pushes the 

 earth up to the hole, then dumps it out- 

 side so that a lopsided hill is built. He 

 finally plugs up the entrance. 



From Kodtchrome by AmdtTtou From Koitrbromi by Andersm. 



Pencil indicates check pouch of pocket gopher. Forefoot of pocket gopher is fine for digging 



