Unlike gophers, moles commonly burrow just beneath the surface, leaving a raised ridge to mark their path. One gopher may create several mounds in a day. In nonirrigated areas, mound building is most pronounced during spring or fall when the soil is moist and easy to dig. In irrigated areas such as lawns, flower beds, and gardens, digging conditions are usually optimum year round and mounds can appear at any time. In snowy regions, gophers create burrows in the snow, resulting in long, earthen cores on the surface when the snow melts.
Gophers seal the openings to the burrow system with earthen plugs.
Short, sloping lateral tunnels connect the main burrow system to the surface and are created during construction of the main tunnel for pushing dirt to the surface. Gophers do not hibernate and may be active at any hour of the day. Gophers usually live alone within their burrow system, except for females with young or when breeding, and may occur in densities of up to16 to 20 per acre. Gophers reach sexual maturity at about 1 year of age and can live up to 3 years. Litters usually average five to six young.