St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-06-27
PoucHED GOPHER.
Description and Pecultarities of the Farm
er's Pest.

GLOWING characters: Color dpoF0' 10"-
fish brown; ashy brown beneath; the
eet are almost white. There are two
arge cheek pouches opening outside the
Mouth, and extending to the shoulders,
lined with short, fine hair. Fore claws
very large and strong; body thick set
and clumsy. Eyes very small, and ears
scarcely visible. Length from nose to
root of tail, ten inches; tail Il 1nehes
long. This species is found abundant1y
in Wisconsin, Illinois and westward LII
burrows in the ground like mole,
forming many branched galleries, and
usually travelling under ground. b
can dig faster than man can SPADE
1t throws up the earth in mounds ten to
fifteen inches high at irregular DIS
tances along the course of its tunnels,
removing the loosened earth from the
latter by pushing it forward with Its
snout. shoulders and fore feet, the
cheek pouches not being used for tins
purpose. The pocket rat can make'but
poor progress on the surface OF the
ground, running scarcely faster than
man can walk. They sometimes benz
their long front claws under their feet
while running on level surface II
placed on their backs, they have some
difficulty in regaining an upright posi-
ton, sprawling and clawing awkward
". The sight and hearing OF tins
species are very dull, but their sense OF
smell is exceedingly acute, it being
necessary to approach their mounds
| from the leeward when it is desired to
observe or shoot them. The males are
very pugnacious, and fight tiercely
among themselves, often destroying
each other They bite terribly, and IN
fiict quite serious wounds, when seized
/ in the hand, by their quick and Violent
snaps. This gopher breeds in April,
bringing forth from five to seven young,
in a nest of grass, in one of the larger
galleries. The young quickly mature,
and are soon able to dig burrows Ike
their parents, and take care OF them
selves.
This species lays up a large store OF
food for the winter, and during that
season is inactive, remaining quiet in
its deep burrows, below the reach OF
frost. It is occasionally seen sittingon
its launches at the mouth of its bur-
row, but generally it is only seen for
few seconds at time above ground
The pocket gopher is one of the most
ruinous enemies of the farmer, and has
| hardly single quality to commend it.
I To every kind of garden vegetable 1t IS
exceedingly destructive, eating enor-
NOUS quantities and spelling and carry
ing off much more to its store-houses-
The roots of fruit trees are eaten off by
this animal, to the number OF half q
hundred trees in d single night-ot
course destroying the trees. a colony
of these rats will carry off a goodly
heap of potatoes in one night; and to
grass and grain fields it is a great
nuisance, overturning and spelling far
more than it is able to devour. 1t need
hardly be said that no pity should be
shown the pocket gopher in settled
districts. But it is unfortunately not an
easy matter to get rid of this destruct-
i've pest; traps they do not readily en-
ter, and their great strength and pow
erful gnawing teeth generally enable
them to make their escape after being
caught. A strong box-trap lined with
tin, heavily weighted and hinged
strongly to a foor-board similarly lined,
set with a figure 4, ard baited with q
sweet potato, placed near the burrow
entrances, will generally secure an in
dividual each night Strong steel traps
are also useful, though from these the
gopher often escapes, leaving a foot
behind it. If time be no object, a large
number may be shot by waiting TO lee.
ward Of their mounds, and killing them
with heavy shot as they come to the
mouth of tie tunnel to bring out sand.
An ordinary spiked mole-trap, set in the
usual way, has been found useful; and
a good wire .rat-trap will capture the
Younger individuals, but the adult rats
easily force apart the bars of such 9
trap, and so escape This animal is al
once stupid, active and ferocious; nc
one would think of making a pet of &
pocket gopher, and even if captured
very young. it seems never to lose it
savage temper, or learn to know those
who feed it. The skin of this animal il
soft and durable, and might be put tt
come useful purpose. Its flesh is saic
to be rank ana tough, and scarcely
edible.
The Southern pouched rat (Geomy!
tuza) is found in the Southeastern
, Southern States. It is probably only
! s'localized race of the preceding
, species. The color above is brownisl
yellow; beneath gray. The body is les
|, stout, and the tail longer than in tn,
common pocket gopher; and the checl
i pouches are smaller, and the palms mar
, rover than in that species.
This nrSNVahats coils ON
dry pine ridges for its home, and closet.
resembles in its general habits tn
Northern species. It continues its mi