The breeding season also varies, but births typically occur from March through June. The gestation period is 18 or 19 days. Densities reported for various pocket gophers are highly variable. Densities of 6 to 8 per acre are considered high density. Average life span of gophers appears to change inversely with population density.
Many predators eat pocket gophers.
When pocket gophers encounter snakes or other threats, they typically react by assuming a threat posture with the mouth open, vocalizing with panting sounds, and raising the front of the body slightly with their claws extended forward. This behavior usually chases away other gophers in the tunnel. If the intruder is a snake, many strikes bounce off the gopher's incisors and claws. The gopher may try to block the intruding snake with a wall of soil. Gophers damage trees by stem girdling and clipping, root pruning, and, possibly, root exposure caused by burrowing.