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Males are larger than females.
The short fur varies in color from pale brown to black above and is usually paler on the underside. The upper incisors each have two grooves on the front surface. The hands are modified for digging, and the tail is used when the animal is running backward in its burrow. These pocket gophers prefer loose, sandy soil in open and sparsely wooded areas. They spend most of their time in underground burrows, and their habits are much like those of Thomomys.