Habits Presence of pocket gophers is easily detected by mounds of earth pushed out during excavation of subterranean tunnels. These mounds are fan shaped with the position of the opening indicated by a round earth plug, the last dirt pushed to the surface. Pocket gophers never leave burrows open for long. Click to expand General habits of both species are similar. They are solitary for much of their lives and seldom seen above ground.
Pocket gophers are active day and night all year round.
These burrowers prefer soil that is slightly moist and easy to work with. Pocket gophers feed largely on roots, tubers, and some surface vegetation. They occasionally forage, but often pull plants down into the tunnel system. Economic Status Pocket gophers are harmful in cultivated areas. They are particularly destructive in alfalfa fields, where they consume vegetation and their mounds hinder crop harvesting.