GOPHER. A name of somewhat indefinite significance, used in different localities to desig nate different animals. It is a corruption of the French word gauffre, a honeycomb, which was applied by the French settlers in America to vari ous burrowing animals which 'honeycomb' the soil.
(1) Any of several American rodents, belong ing to two distinct families, the Geomyidn and the Sciuridx, subfamily Spennophilinte. The true gophers belong to the first mentioned family, the spermophiles being more properly ground-squir rels(q.v.). The Geomyidae are known as pouched rats or pocket-gophers. They are characterized by very large external cheek-pouches, which are lined with fur. They do not communicate with the mouth, but open beside it. In some species, they run along the whole side of the neck as far back as the shoulders. These pouches seem to be used largely for carrying food. The front feet have large claws and are otherwise fitted for dig ging. The tail is short and the ears are small. There are only two genera—Geomys, with perhaps half a dozen species, and Thomomys, with four or five smaller species. All of the pouched rats arc confined to the western half of North America, except two species of Geomys, which occur in the Gulf States, and they range from Central Ameri ca northward to British Columbia. The most common species (Geomys bursarius) is found in Canada, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Texas, Mexico, and the Gulf States, but not north of the Sas katchewan River. It is about 9 inches long, with an almost hairless tail about 2 inches long, and weighs about 13 ounces. Its legs are short; fore feet strong, and well adapted for burrowing, having five claws, the three middle ones very large and long. The claws on the hind feet are small, but the two middle ones longer than the others, the interior one being almost rudimen tary. It has 20 teeth: 8 upper and 8 lower molars, and 4 incisors which are very strong, especially the lower pair, which are much stronger than the upper. The ears are very small. The animal is reddish-brown on the back and sides, ashy beneath, and has white feet. It burrows in sandy soils, throwing up the earth in little mounds, and its work is surprisingly rapid and extensive. It subsists on 'grass, roots, nuts,
buds, and farm vt•getables. The roots of trees often suffer severely from its attacks. The pouches which cover the side of the head are capa ble of being so distended as to enable the animal to carry a considerable load of provisiors. The true Southern gopher, or Georgia hamster (Geo mys tuza), is a larger animal, found in Alabama. Georgia, and Florida. By a strange misapplica tion of names, the gophers of the Southern States are often called 'salamanders,' although the lat ter word is almost universally applied to the tailed amphibians, and its use should properly be confined to that group. On the Pacific Coast there are several kinds of gophers. Some are inches long, with a tail nearly 3 'inches, cheek-pouches large, resembling the thumb of a glove, hanging down by the side of the head. When in the act of emptying its pouches the ani mal sits on its hams, like a marmot, or squirrel, and squeezes the sacks against its breast with its chin and fore paws. All those not inhabiting warm climates hibernate. A familiar species in the Northwest is the camass-rat (Thomomys tat poides).
Similar animals inhabit the plains of other parts of the world, as South Africa, Russia, Tar tary, and India. Everywhere that civilization has caused a lessening of natural enemies, such as weasels, badgers, skunks, foxes, wolves, hawks, owls, serpents, and the like, these animals have increased to the proportions of a pest, and must be combated by poison, by flooding their burrows, suffocating with sulphur fumes, or similar means; in view of which such native carnivorous animals and birds as the coyote, badger, skunk, ferret, and all the hawks and owls should be preserved to the limits of toleration as assistants in keep ing down these and other harmful rodents, such as the mice. See Plate of GOPHERS, ETC. Consult: Cones, Oeomys and Thomomys (Washington, 1875) ; Herrick, The Mammals of Minnesota (Minneapolis, 1892).
(2) A tortoise. See GOPHER TORTOISE.
(3) A serpent. See GOPHER SNAKE.