Geomyidae - pocket gophers

There are 39 species in this family. Pocket gophers are found in North and Central America. They have stout bodies; short tails; big heads; small ears and eyes; and short, but powerful legs with strong digging claws.

Pocket gophers are named for their fur-lined cheek pouches. Their cheek pouches are used to carry food and can be turned inside out!

Pocket gophers build elaborate tunnel systems underground. Their tunnel systems have sleeping chambers, food storage chambers and even bathrooms! Pocket gophers are solitary animals and eat roots and tubers.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys castanops Oriental Basin Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys fulvescens Smoky Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys fumosus Cratogeomys goldmani Merriam's Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys merriami Cofre De Perote Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys perotensis Volcán De Toluca Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys planiceps Desert Pocket Gopher - Geomys arenarius Attwater's Pocket Gopher - Geomys attwateri Baird's Pocket Gopher - Geomys breviceps Plains Pocket Gopher - Geomys bursarius Knox Jones's Pocket Gopher - Geomys knoxjonesi Texas Pocket Gopher - Geomys personatus Cumberland Island Picket Gopher - Geomys pinetis Central Texas Pocket Gopher - Geomys texensis Tropical Pocket Gopher - Geomys tropicalis Chiriqui Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cavator Cherrie's Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cherriei Oaxacan Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cuniculus [dd] Darien Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys dariensis Giant Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys grandis Variable Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys heterodus Hispid Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys hispidus Big Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys lanius Nicaraguan Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys matagalpae Underwood's Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys underwoodi Alcorn's Pocket Gopher - Pappogeomys alcorni Buller's Pocket Gopher - Pappogeomys bulleri Botta's Pocket Gopher - Thomomys bottae Camas Pocket Gopher - Thomomys bulbivorus Wyoming Pocket Gopher - Thomomys clusius Idaho Pocket Gopher - Thomomys idahoensis Western Pocket Gopher - Thomomys mazama Mountain Pocket Gopher - Thomomys monticola Vancouver Pocket Gopher - Thomomys talpoides Townsend's Pocket Gopher - Thomomys townsendii Animas Mountains Pocket Gopher - Thomomys umbrinus Michoacan Pocket Gopher - Zygogeomys trichopus

Other Species Around the World
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys castanops Oriental Basin Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys fulvescens Smoky Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys fumosus Cratogeomys goldmani Merriam's Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys merriami Cofre De Perote Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys perotensis Volcán De Toluca Pocket Gopher - Cratogeomys planiceps Desert Pocket Gopher - Geomys arenarius Attwater's Pocket Gopher - Geomys attwateri Baird's Pocket Gopher - Geomys breviceps Plains Pocket Gopher - Geomys bursarius Knox Jones's Pocket Gopher - Geomys knoxjonesi Texas Pocket Gopher - Geomys personatus Cumberland Island Picket Gopher - Geomys pinetis Central Texas Pocket Gopher - Geomys texensis Tropical Pocket Gopher - Geomys tropicalis Chiriqui Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cavator Cherrie's Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cherriei Oaxacan Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys cuniculus [dd] Darien Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys dariensis		Giant Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys grandis Variable Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys heterodus Hispid Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys hispidus Big Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys lanius Nicaraguan Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys matagalpae Thaeler's Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys thaeleri Underwood's Pocket Gopher - Orthogeomys underwoodi Alcorn's Pocket Gopher - Pappogeomys alcorni Buller's Pocket Gopher - Pappogeomys bulleri Botta's Pocket Gopher - Thomomys bottae Camas Pocket Gopher - Thomomys bulbivorus Wyoming Pocket Gopher - Thomomys clusius Idaho Pocket Gopher - Thomomys idahoensis Western Pocket Gopher - Thomomys mazama Mountain Pocket Gopher - Thomomys monticola Vancouver Pocket Gopher - Thomomys talpoides Townsend's Pocket Gopher - Thomomys townsendii Animas Mountains Pocket Gopher - Thomomys umbrinus Michoacan Pocket Gopher - Zygogeomys trichopus