Introduction

The gopher, also known as the Prairie Dog is one of the world’s pests. This small mammal has destroyed crops in a lot of counties. It feed on any grain or leaf plant it can eat. As a result people have trapped and shot these creature for many year.

Size

Gophers are a small, rabbit sized, mammal. They burrow their dens, or holes, in the soft dirt. The most common place to find them is in North Americas grass lands. They typically take to the fields where they can find food easily. Gophers usually travel and live in colonies, much like ants. And they only come out in the daylight. (Geographic, 1996-2014)

(Gehmon)

The Burrow

Their burrows, or dens, is an extensive system of tunnels and chambers marked by mounds of dirt at the …show more content…
Another prairie dog species, the white-tailed prairie dog, lives in the western mountains. All species hunker down in winter and burn the reserves of fat they have stored during more plentiful seasons. White-tails may hibernate for up to six months on their mountain plains, while their black-tailed cousins sometimes emerge to feed on especially warm days.

These large squirrels emerge from their burrows in daylight to forage and feed on grasses, roots, and seeds. They communicate with loud cries. A warning cry, for example, will send a town's denizens hustling to their holes at the approach of a badger, coyote, or other predator. A second, "all-clear" call alerts the community when the danger has passed. (Geographic, 1996-2014)

The Anatomy

Gophers are slightly grizzled, small, and fat. They have only 22 teeth in their skull and weigh 1 ½ to 3 lbs. They are about a foot long with a yellowish fur color. Their ears are a darker brown and their belly is more whitish. Their colored fur also forms rings around their nose and eyes. Here is the Prairie Dog’s vital stats:

* Weight: 1.5-3 lbs.

* Length with tail: