This week, I had a client send me a photo of their yard. There were 5-10 holes in the lawn characterized by large crescents of dirt around the entrances. While we’ve talked about some other digging pests in the past such as armadillos, this damage was most likely done by Geomys pinetis, better known as the Southeastern Pocket Gopher.

            The Southeastern Pocket Gopher is native to Alabama, Georgia, and Florida and is the only gopher species in this region. It gets its name from the fur lined pouches in its cheeks used to carry food and nesting materials- just like a pocket. The Southeastern variety weighs on average half a pound and is typically 10-11 inches in length. Most gophers live between 1-3 years, though some species have been documented to live up to 7 years in the wild.  Pocket gophers are adapted for a digging lifestyle with powerful front limbs, large, clawed front paws, short, dense fur, and large incisor teeth used to cut plants and roots.

            The Southeastern Pocket Gopher stays active year-round. They feed on green plants such as grasses and weeds near the entrance of its burrow and on underground roots and rhizomes. Typically, the gopher will gather vegetation and store it in an extensive borrow system for future consumption. Breeding takes place in spring and summer, with a gestational period of about 4 weeks and an average litter size of 2-5 offspring. A gopher can have up to 3 litters per year in the right environment. Due to its predominantly underground lifestyle, there are few natural predators of gophers, but snakes and weasels are the primary culprits.

            The best sign of a gopher’s presence are mounds of fresh soil typically around a foot in diameter. You can differentiate a gopher mound from other species because it is typically horseshoe or crescent shaped when viewed from above, with the entry hole off to one side and usually plugged with loose dirt. Mole mounds will be more circular or volcano shaped, and armadillo holes are typically shallow and wide. The burrow system of a pocket gopher can cover an area that is anywhere from 200-2000 square feet and can be home to over 14 species of insects. The tunnels are usually 3-4 inches in diameter and can be anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet deep under the surface. Gophers can do significant damage to landscaping and gardening as they pull plants into their tunnels to store and eat. The mounds they produce can also interfere with mowing equipment and ruin the aesthetic of your yard.

            The Southeastern Pocket Gopher is not a federally protected species but is protected by state law and classified as vulnerable. Several articles show that we have had a significant decline of up to 75% of the gopher populations in the state, which has also been seen in Florida and Alabama. At this time, I am following up with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to see what management options exist for this species given its protected status. If you have a burrowing animal issue in your yard, we are happy to help identify the species and provide management options to you. Call us at 706-359-3233 for more information!