The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1896-08-28
THE POCKET GOPHER.
An Animal hat Digs Both Sum-
NOR and Winter.
It Lives the Life of Hermit Excepting
one Month in the Year-some Informa-
ton About Interesting
Little Animal

SlGered u very important llSi Sung -
his fellows; but he would have, al that
IN abode only one-half as long as tbs
dwelling " hch is often constructed b
q very ;ittle animal-the CREATURE calico
the "3ocsct gopher in the west and the
..salanander'' in the south. A report
on this little creature recently issuef
by the United States department of az
riculture declares that the burrows
dug by a single animal would, i
straohtsned out, in many cases meas
IRE more than mile.
The pocket gopher digs as long as
he lives. extending his burrows iron
year to year. He digs all summer ane
generally all winter, for he does not hi
Yarpate. lie is probably the completest
mechanical digger in existence. All
his life is passed under ground, except
when, for an instant, on rare occasions
ne ennergesinto the air to push aload 81
earth from a freshly opened hole.
,sut he vanishes below the earth sc
quickly that he can hardly be said to
be seen at all.
Except for one month of the year,
the mating season, all pocket gophers
live an entirely solitary life, and, like
most other hernits, they are of an eN-
treinely surly disposition. They will
frht viciously on all occasions, ano
they have a remarkably formidable
weapon in their long, sharp front teeth
They are of all living creatures tbs
ones most perfectly adapted 10 diggna
III the ground. They are short-lcggcd
thick 81 {, almost neckless, without yisi-
80 ears, and with extremely smnileyes
IN tunreling in the earth they u.s.
their long and powerful front teeth o.
n pick to loosen the ground. At the
same time the f6refeet, which are
lsacd with long curved ciaws-tl'
SIDE o. the toes being lined in turn witt
'r;stlrs which prevent the dirt from
,.ssinr between them--are hard
work. 10th in digging and in pressing
Tile dirt back under the body. Then
.:e hind feet take it and push it fur
ther back.
When earth enough has been accG,
mulatcd behind the gopher he whiTis
about, and by bringing his wrists to
gether under the chin, with the palms
,f Tho hands held vertically, he pushe:
the earth out in front.
lie win move backward as rapidly as
forward, ard can push dirt either way,
His movement in digging often seems
as rapid and automatic as that OF
shuttle.
Except in times of deep frost the
burrows are seldom more than foo'
underground, and generally about 81.
rchcs. Tho gopher is in pursuit c
roots Of all kinds-grass roots, tire
roots. potatoes and other tubers. X
is immensely destructive to crops, arr
one eonher has been known to gray
away the roots of tree so completely
that the tree win topple over in q Sigh
wind and fall fiat.
This is not hard to understand after
we have been assured, as the biologists
of the department of agriculture assure
us, that pocket gopher can mako 200
com3lcte strokes with his teeth in a
minute It's jaws are so arranged that
rs distinct single cuts are made by the
forward stroke of the jaw and 25 by the
backward stroke. Thus, it will be
seen, the little creatures jaws may
make grand total of 1920 cuts min
ute when in active operation.
The pocket gopher-the name is APP
piled to several species of the Geomys
indeed, so destructive that in
many parts of the west bounties arc
offered for its determination. One Iowa
county paid $14,C00 in such hounties in |
n single year without an appreciate re-
luction of the animals rayages. This
represented destruction of 10000 go !
piers.
At intervals, seldom more than few |
rods apart, the pocket gopher comes
10 the surface to throw up little hill
Of dirt, but the opening which he makes |
$ closed by being packed so full OF |
lirt that no trace of the tunnel is visible |
except the little mound.
The gopher goes on digging in win
er rs well as in the summer, but if the
'rost prevents him from coming to the
urface he uses a cross section of his !
,unnel into which to pack the earth
which he has dug for his new eXcava-
ions. These packed cylinders Of earth
IRE often turned up by the farmers
low.
If, by inadvertence, the pocket go
,her leaves an exit open the "bull
make" is very apt to enter, and if nc
Ioes, the gopher's death is certain.
Re is covered with slime by the serpent
nd swallowed.
But the weasel is the gopher's chief
nemy. The largest weasel enters the