Geomys arenarius
desert pocket gopher

Desert pocket gophers are found from extreme western Texas and southwest, southcentral New Mexico (USA) to extreme north Chihuahua (Mexico). This species is commonest in the narrow strip of bottom land along the upper Rio Grande Valley from Chihuahua into New Mexico. (Smithsonian Institution, 1993; Williams and Baker, 1974)

Desert pocket gophers are fossorial mammals which prefer sandy and disturbed soils that are excessively drained and easily penetrated. They occupy desert scrub as well as many man-made habitats. They are common along the lowlands of rivers as well as along irrigation ditches. Their use of claws for digging, as opposed to incisors, restricts this species to sandy soils that are less than 30% clay and greater than 40% sand. Desert pocket gophers spend most of their time about 100-200 mm below the surface in underground burrows that exceed 30 meters long. The burrows are made up of many side chambers and associated mounds of earth above ground, as well as a central chamber where all of the passages converge. One observed central chamber was 280mm long, 230 mm wide, and 200 mm deep. (Kays and Wilson, 2002; Klingel, 2001; Lessa and Thaeler, 1989; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983)

Desert pocket gophers are heavily built, medium-sized gophers with relatively long, nearly naked tails and pale coloration. Their pelage is drab-brown dorsally, with thinly spread black-tipped hairs. This coloration continues until the abdomen where it may begin to blend with white hairs on the abdomen, chest, and feet.

Desert pocket gophers have massive forelimbs with large olecranon and epicondylar processes and large claws with flexible digits. They are adapted for a strong and powerful mode of digging. They have reduced eyes and pinnae, which enable them to better travel underground and through tunnels. They also have large, external, fur-lined cheek pouches which reach from the side of the mouth back to their shoulders.

Desert pocket gophers can be easily distinguished from other pocket gophers by the lack of sagittal crest, prominent knob over the middle of the jugal on the end of the squamosal arm of the zygoma, and also by checking to see that the rostrum does not exceed the length of the basioccipital. The zygoma of the desert pocket gopher are also unique among pocket gophers in that they has parallel sides in contrast to sides that converge posteriorly. The dental formula is 1/1, c 0/0, p 1/1, m 3/3, and their upper incisors are bisulcate.

There is pronounced sexual dimorphism in desert pocket gophers. Mean external and cranial measurements, excluding interorbital breadth, were all found to be greater in males. Body weights of desert pocket gophers ranged from 198 to 254 g in males, and from 165 to 207 g in females. (Costello and Rosenberger, 2002; Hall and Kelson, 1959; Kays and Wilson, 2002; Lessa and Thaeler, 1989; Williams and Baker, 1974)

There is no information about the lifespan of desert pocket gophers; however, a study conducted on a closely related species, T. talpoides, provides some data about the longevity of pocket gophers. In a five year field study that was conducted on a population of T. talpoides, the oldest female collected was 4 years and 9 months old, and the oldest male was 3 years of age. The mean lifespan for the population of interest was found to be about 13.6 months for males and 18.3 months for females. Ninety-six percent of the pocket gophers where 2 years old or less when last trapped. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982)

Desert pocket gophers are solitary, fossorial animals. Individuals live alone, each within their own burrow system, and are intolerant of members of their own species. The exception to this behavioral pattern is during the breeding season when males extend their tunnels or go above ground to seek a female. When a desert pocket gopher is angry or introduced to a strange gopher they begin to make hissing sounds by breathing rapidly, and will violently fight with one another. They will also occasionally cry out if injured.

When burrowing below ground, desert pocket gophers create large ejecta mounds by pushing the excess soil from their burrow. They alternately push out the soil in three different directions (to the left, right and directly in front of the burrow) creating a large fan-shaped ejecta mound.

When foraging above ground, desert pocket gophers collect food and store it in fur-lined cheek pouches to be brought back to the burrow. Upon re-entering the burrow, desert pocket gophers plug the opening, thus allowing for better climate control inside the burrow as well as keeping predators out.

Desert pocket gophers collect and store food underground for winter use. (Costello and Rosenberger, 2002; Kerley, Whitford, and Kay, 2003; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983; The University of Texas at El Paso, 2000; Vaughan, Ryan, and Czaplewski, 2000)

Home Range

The home range of Geomys arenarius is equivalent to its burrow size and territory except for during the breeding season. They are extremely sedentary animals and, once established, they make only minor shifts to their territories due to external forces such being crowded by a large animal.

The territories of desert pocket gophers have been found to be a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on the availability of food and soil conditions in the area. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983)

Desert pocket gophers have small eyes and ears as an adaptation for moving through underground tunnels. They do not rely heavily on visual or acoustic perception channels. They mainly perceive their environment through the vibrissae covering their body, and through their sensitive tail, which they use as a guide when moving backwards out of a tunnel. Chemical cues are also very important.

Little is known about the communication habits of desert pocket gophers in the wild. Pocket gophers in captivity make grinding, chattering noises with their teeth, eliciting similar clicking noises from other pocket gophers nearby. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983; Vaughan, Ryan, and Czaplewski, 2000)

Desert pocket gophers are strict herbivores. They are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide variety of plants including underground roots, rhizomes, and bulbs they encounter within their burrow system. They also feed on above ground vegetation that is easily accessible from their burrows. They will eat any part of the plant including stems, roots, leaves, flowers, needles, buds and seeds. They also eat alfalfa as well as a variety of grass species. Desert pocket gophers obtain adequate amounts of water from the moisture in the vegetation they feed on. They rarely require fresh water to drink. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982; Klingel, 2001; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983)

The effect of vertebrate predators on desert pocket gophers is not well understood. This is because they are fossorial mammals and only subject to predation when above the ground. It appears that avian predators are the greatest threat to desert pocket gophers, however Canis, Mustela and Crotalus appear to have some effectiveness as predators as well. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982)

The main influence of desert pocket gophers on the ecosystems in which they live is through their continuous working of the soil. Desert pocket gophers increase the mixing and aeration of soils they inhabit, increasing soil fertility and stimulating vegetation growth. The vertical cycling of soil through desert pocket gopher activity also increases soil fertility in that it loosens and aerates the earth as well as mixes organic matter into the soil, through such things as fecal materials and vegetation stores underground. However, this continuous working of the soil can also accelerate soil erosion on overgrazed ranges. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983)

Desert pocket gophers are considered pests by humans because of the great economic loss they can cause in agricultural areas. Their burrowing and ejecta mounds can damage crops as well as lead to the depletion of grazing ranges. Some crops that are particularly damaged through desert pocket gopher activity are sweet potatoes, sugar cane, and peas. Desert pocket gophers can also cause erosion through their mounds and tunnels and are considered a nuisance by home gardeners. (Chapman and Feldhamer, 1982; Nowak and Paradiso, 1983; The University of Texas at El Paso, 2000)

Humans benefit from desert pocket gophers through their cycling of the soil. This cycling process allows for soil aeration and blending of organic matter into the soil which in turn increases soil fertilization. (Nowak and Paradiso, 1983; The University of Texas at El Paso, 2000)

The conservation status of Geomys arenarius is described as near threatened.