The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-06-12
poucHED GOPHER.
Description, and Peculiarities Of the Farm.
er's Pest.

Description and Peculinrities Of the Farm
er's Pest.
The common pocket gopher (Geomys
bursarius) may be recognized by the
following characters: Color above, red
dish brown; ashy brown beneath; the
feet are almost white. There are two
large 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 81 inches
long. This species is found abundantly
in Wisconsin, Illinois and westward. 1t
burrows in the ground like mole,
forming many branched galleries, and
usually travelling under ground. 1t
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 this
purpose. The pocket rat can make but
poor progress on the surface of the
ground, running scarcely faster than a
man can walk. They sometimes bend
their long front claws under their feet
while running on level surface. If
placed on their backs, they have some
difficulty in regaining an upright posi-
ton, sprawling and clawing awkward
ly. The sight and hearing of this
| 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 fiercely
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 like
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 1t is occasionally seen sitting on
its launches at the mouth of its bur-
row, but generally it is only seen for a
few seconds at time above ground.
The pocket gopher is one of the most
ruinous enemies of the farmer, and has
hardly q single quality to commend it.
To every kind of garden vegetable it is
exceedingly destructive, eating onor-
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 a
hundred trees in single night-of
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 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 floor-board similarly lined,
set with figure 4, and baited with a
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, 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
good wire rat-trap will capture the
younger individuals, but the adult rats
easily force apart the bars of such a
trap, and so escape. This animal is at
once stupid, active and ferocious: no
one would think of making pet of a
pocket gopher, and even if captured
very young, it seems never to lose its
savage temper. or learn to know those
who feed it. The skin of this animal is
soft and durable. and might be put to
some useful purpose. Its flesh is said
to be rank ana tough, and scarcely
edible.
The Southern pouched rat (Geomys
tuza) is found in the Southeastern
Southern States. 1t is probably only a
Al 90 ka ls~o
species. The color above is brownish
yellow; beneath gray. The body is less
stout. and the tail longer than in the
common pocket gopher; and the check
pouches are smaller, and the palms mar
rover than in that species.
This gopher chooses sandy soils, and
dry pine ridges for its home, and closely
resembles in its general habits the
Northern species. 1t continues its mi
ming operations throughout the winter,
not becoming dormant. Curiously
enough this animal is known by the alb
surd name of salamander in some local
tiles; it is, however. commonly called
the ground rat in the South generally.
The large and peculiar cheek pouches
of this genus are used exclusively to
carry food, never being used to bring
earth from their burrows. as was al
legged by the older writers. A number
of species of pouched rats belonging to
Two genera (Geomys and Thomomys) are
found in the United States. All are
rare with the exception of the two
species above described, and are found
mostly in the wild regions of the ex-
treme Northwest.-Dr. SetSs, in COu,-
try Gentleman.
Tearhers' Tenure of Office