Evening star., 1896-06-16
THE LIyMG-DREDGE.
Queer Ways ofIEhat Interesting Lit
tie Animal, Tile Pocket Gopher.


Queer Ways oftkhat Interesting Lit
tie Animal, tile Pocket Gopher.
From the Youths Coi2hAnion. s
A human beinao1who should possess q
dwelling half tnAe long would be con-
sidersd a very inJSartant parsonage by he's
fellows; but he would have, at that, an
abode only one-haH as long as the dwell
Ing which Is often constructed by a very
little animal-the creature called the "pock-
ct gopher in thedEest and the "salaman-
der in the south. IA report on this little
creature recently ISSUED by the United
States Department of Agriculture declares
that the burrows dug by a single animal
would. If straighseted out. in many cases
measure more than, mile.
The pocket gopher digs as long as he
lives. extending his burrow from year to
year. He digs all, summer, and generally
all winter. for he does not hibernate He
is probably the oompletest mechanical dig
ger In existence. All his life is passed un-
der ground. except when. for an instant. on
rare occasions, he emerges into the air to
push a load of earth from a freshly opened
hole. But he vanfshes below the earth 80
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, Nike most other
hermts, they are Of an extremely suriy
disposition. They will fight viciously on ali
occasions. and they have q rem 4rkably
formidable weapon In their long, sharp
front teeth.
They are Of all living creatures the ones
most perfectly adapted to digging in the
ground. They are short legged, thick set,
almost neckless. without visible ears and
with extremely small eyes,
In tunneling in the earth they use their
long and powerful front teeth as pick to
loosen the ground At the same time the
fore feet which are armed with long.
curved claws-the side of the toes being
lined in turn with bristles which prevent
the dirt from passing between them-are
hard at work both In digging and In press
Ing the dirt back under the body There
the hind feet take 1t and push 1t further
back
When earth enough has been accumulated
behind the gopher he whirls about and by
bringing his wrists together under the chin,
with the palms Of the hands held Yer rtically,
he pushes the earth out dn front
He will move backward as rapidly as for
ward. and can push dirt either way. HES
movement in digging often seems as rapid
and automatic as that of shuttle.
Except in times OF deep frost the bur-
rows are seldom more than a foot under
ground. and generally about six inches. The
gopher Is in pursuit of roots of AID kinds
grass roots, tree roots, potatoes and other
tubers. He Is immensely destructive to
crops. and one gopher has been known to
gnaw away the roots Of a tree so complete
~ that the tree will topple over in slight
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
strokes with his teeth in a minute Its
jaws are so arranged that thirty-eight
distinct single cuts are made by the for
ward stroke of the jaw and twenty-eight
1Nyf he .ply,r,
seen. the little creatures jaws may make
q grand total Of 1920 cuts a minute when
In active operation!
The pocket gopher-the name is applied
to several species Of the Geomys tribe--is,
irdeed. so destructive that in many parts
OF the west bounttas are offered for its ex-
termination. One Iowa county paid s14 900
IN such bount1es in single year with out
an appreciabie reduction Of the animals
ravages. This represented a destruction
OF 10000 gophers.
out an apprecia BILE reduction of the ami
mails ravages. This represented a destruc-
ton Of 10000 gophers.
AT intervals, seldom mora than few
RODS apart, and often within a few feet
the pocket gopher comes 20 the surface
to throw up a little. hill Of dirt, but the
opening which he makes Is closed by being
packed 80 full Of dirt that no trace Of the
tunnel is visible except the little mound.
Inc sopner goes on digging in winter as
well as In summer. but IL the frost prevents
a
cross section of his tunnel into which to
pack the earth which he has dug for his
new excavations. These tightly packed
cylinders of earth are often turned IN by
the farmers plbugh 's't-
II. by inadvertence. 1he pocket gopher
leaves an exit open. the bull snake Is
very apt to enter: and II he does, the goph-
er's death Is certain He is covered with
slime by the serpent and swallowed.
But the weasel is the gophers chief en-
emy. The largest weasel easily enters the
burrow and trayerses it swiftly. and wea-
sells have cleared a whole section of coun-
failed. ''''' nave
But it Is said that even in regions where
the pocket gophers are most destructive
the weasel Is condemned by the farmers
and killed mercilessly This is one instance
OF many Of the slowness of mankind tc
recognize friends in the animal world.
owls and hawks also succeed In cap
turing many gophers. in spite of the mere
ly instantaneous appearance Of the crea-
lures above the ground.
The Geomys has a somewhat extraordin-
ary appendage in the shape of pouch on
each cheek. in which he stores a little sum-
ply OF food, and which does not. like the
chipmunks pouch. communicate with the
mouth. 1t Is entirely on the outside. and
the gopher Is obliged to use his paws both
In putting food into 1t and in taking It out
Given a whole potato, a pocket gopher in
captivity will proceed to cut Of little slices
trim them to suitable shape with his sharp
leetu anu transfer them to his cheek
pouches by swift movement To get
them out he presses his fore feet firmly
against the sides of his head, and carries
them rapidly forward. dumping the con-
tents OF the pouches on the ground before
him.
These pouches, or pockets, are often
packed SO full of pieces Of roots stems
ana leaves as to give the creature q curl
ousiy distorted appearance. The fragments
are sometimes an inch long, fitting the
pockets nicely. and packed lsngthwise Into
all the crevices leaves are cunningly folded
or rolled.
The pocket gopher lays up a supply OF
1000 !or winter. but does not eat it II he
can obtain new food by burrowing. It Is
only when frost or other circumstances
prevent him from digging that he falls
back upon his hoard
The Geomys does so much harm that it
Is rather pleasant to be able to enter an
item to his credit. For unknown ages"
the official report above alluded to says,
the gophers have been steadily at work
ploughing the ground, covering deeper and
deeper the vegetable matter. loosening the
soil, draining the land and slowly but sure
iy cultivating and enriching It"
1t Is In a great measure the gopher, of
one species or another. which has made the
western prairies a mellow garden, ready
for the farmers plough.
But now his work is done. The farmer
tiils his own soil. and the earth no longer
needs the little animated cultivating ma
chine-which. for that matter, is operated
q In, fho ,drI<aA nf