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The thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), also known as the striped gopher, leopard ground squirrel, and squinny (formerly known as the leopard-spermophile in the age of Audubon), is a species of hibernating ground squirrel that is widely distributed over grasslands and prairies of North America.
Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. [2] The roughly 41 species [ 3 ] are all endemic to North and Central America. [ 4 ] They are commonly known for their extensive tunneling activities and their ability to destroy farms and gardens.
Richardson's ground squirrel (Urocitellus richardsonii), also known as the dakrat or flickertail, is a North American ground squirrel in the genus Urocitellus.Like a number of other ground squirrels, they are sometimes called prairie dogs or gophers, though the latter name belongs more strictly to the pocket gophers of family Geomyidae, and the former to members of the genus Cynomys.
The gophers are known to cause damage to farms and infrastructure through burrowing or consuming vegetation. Damage mitigation can be done by installing a gopher fence, which has to be at least 6 inches (15 cm) above ground and go down to a depth of over 2 feet (0.61 m) or until bedrock or hardpan is struck. This fence is considered a temporary ...
Like other pocket gophers, they have a large head, a short, muscular neck, small eyes and ears, and short legs. The forefeet are large with powerful digging claws, while the hindfeet are stout, with flat soles. There is a fur-lined cheek pouch on either side of the mouth, from which the name "pocket gopher" derives. Females have eight teats. [3]
The Texas pocket gopher is found in southern Texas as far north as Val Verde County and San Patricio County, [3] and the state of Tamaulipas, the most north-easterly part of Mexico. [1] Its range is patchy and disjointed, similarly to other Geomys species. It is common in the sand drifts on Mustang and Padre islands in the Gulf of Mexico. [3]
The reproductive activity of yellow-faced pocket gophers start in November and increases to a peak in March and/or April [8] During mating and copulation, the males emits low guttural squeaks throughout exploratory activities, then the male bites the female when body contact is made. [5]
Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) is a pocket gopher native to western North America. It is also known in some areas as valley pocket gopher , particularly in California. Both the specific and common names of this species honor Paul-Émile Botta , a naturalist and archaeologist who collected mammals in California in 1827 and 1828.