THE POCKET MICE-GOPHER. 



353 



Least Pocket Mouse. 

 ( Cricetodifius flavus. ) 



the Mississippi, between the thirty- fourth and fifty- 

 second parallel of north latitude. It leads an under- 

 ground life, exactly similar to that of the Mole, dig- 

 ging numerous, complicated tunnels in various and 

 most erratic directions and throwing up heaps of 

 earth, resembling Mole's hills. . 



Tunnels of old standing are packed hard and firm 

 from constant use, while newer ones are not. Lat- 

 eral passages branch off at intervals. The main 

 chamber is situated under the roots of a tree at a 

 depth of about four and one-half feet; the entrance 

 tunnel is sunk down to it with a spiral direction. 



This chamber is of 

 great dimensions, lined 

 throughout with soft 

 grass, not unlike a 

 Squirrel's nest, and 

 serves the animal as a 

 resting and sleeping 

 place. The nest in 

 which the young, num- 

 bering from five to 

 seven in each litter, are 

 born about the end of 

 March or beginning of April, is much like the de- 

 scribed chamber, but it is lined with the hair of the 

 mother. Like the Mole's nest, it is also surrounded 

 by circular passages from which the tunnels radiate. 

 Gesner found that a passage leads from the nest to 

 a larger hole, the store-room, which is usually filled 

 with roots, potatoes, nuts and seeds. The Gopher 

 works most diligently at the excavation and enlarg- 

 ing of its habitation in the morning hours from four 

 to ten, undoubtedly with the intention of obtaining 

 roots. If the locality has an abundant supply of 

 food, from three to five yards of burrow may be ex- 

 cavated in this time and 

 from two to five mounds 

 are thrown up, but if food 

 be scanty the animal digs 

 for a greater distance and 

 works for a longer time. 

 Sometimes it suspends its 

 work for weeks, apparently 

 subsisting on its stored-up 

 provisions at such times. 

 When throwing up the 

 earth, which it does in a 

 manner resembling that of 

 the Mole, the Gopher ex- 

 poses itself to view as little 

 as possible and immediate- 

 ly after accomplishing its 

 purpose, plunges back into 

 the hole. It appears above 

 ground to gather dry grass 

 for its living-room or nest, 

 and also, according to Au- 

 dubon, to bask in the sun. 

 Its acute sense of hearing 



and excellent power of scent protect it from sur- 

 prises; when it apprehends danger it instantly rushes 

 underground, even if it has to secure its retreat by 

 sinking a new shaft. 



Peculiar/'- On the surface of the ground the 

 ties of the Gopher hobbles along in a clumsy 

 Gopher. way, proceeding at a pace about as 



fast as a Man's walk. While eating it often sits on 

 its haunches and uses its fore-paws after the manner 

 of Squirrels. When sleeping, it curls up and reposes 

 its head on the chest, between its fore legs. It fills 



its cheek pouches, which are of dimensions to excite 

 astonishment in the mind of one unacquainted with 

 the animal, by using its tongue in the process of 

 deposition while grazing, and empties them with its 

 fore paws. As is the case with other Rodents, when 

 they become obese their increase of bulk is alto- 

 gether lateral, and they become broad, measured 

 across the back; in this condition they assume an 

 oblong ovoid shape, never having hanging-down 

 sacks on the sides of the snout nor the body drag- 

 ging on the earth. The assertion that they use their 

 cheek pouches to remove the excavated earth from 

 their burrows is based wholly on imagination. 



The Gopher The damage done by a Gopher may 

 an Enemy of assume considerable proportions. It 

 Man - sometimes destroys hundreds of 



valuable trees in a few days, by gnawing their roots, 

 and sometimes destroys entire plots of bulbous or 

 tuberous plants. For this reason Man is arrayed 

 against it and is really its most dangerous enemy, 

 the only other foes it has to fear besides the agricul- 

 turist being water and Snakes. 



A udubon 's Obser- Audubon kept several Gophers in 

 uations of captivity for weeks, feeding them on 

 Gophers. potatoes. They exhibited an ex- 

 ceedingly voracious appetite, but refrained from 

 drinking, though he offered them not only water 

 but also milk. Their efforts to regain their liberty 

 were incessant, consisting in gnawing their way 

 through boxes and doors. They exhibited an 

 extremely acquisitive disposition, and constantly 

 dragged clothing and all kinds of similar objects 

 together, utilizing them as bedding, suiting them to 

 such purpose by gnawing them to pieces. One of 

 them, straying into a boot, instead of turning back, 

 simply gnawed its way through the tip. This habit 



THE POUCHED GOPHER. The western agriculturist often finds this animal a great nuisance, for it 



digs up the earth like a Mole, and it destroys an enormous quantity of potatoes and similar crops. This animal's 

 stout, clumsy body, long, strong claws for burrowing and sharp chisel-edged teeth for gnawing, its small ears and 

 almost bare tail are all well depicted here. (Geomys bursarins.) 



of constantly gnawing, and the noise thereby pro- 

 duced, made the animals unbearable, even to so de- 

 voted and self-denying a naturalist as Audubon. 



„., „ , Besides the typical animal just described 



there are the Southern Gopher or Salaman- 

 der (Geot/iys tuza) which is very much like 

 the ordinary Pouched Gopher but has its 

 tail and feet entirely bare and shows some differences in den- 

 tition. It is found in the southern Atlantic states. "Sala- 

 mander" is its common name in that section, and, curiously 

 enough, the name "Gopher" is there applied to a species of 

 turtle, and in some of the western states various kinds of 

 Spermophiles, or Ground Squirrels, are also erroneously called 



and Pocket 

 Rats. 



