Botta's Pocket Gopher

Description:

Heavy bodied, 9 inches long, 6-8 oz. Small ears and eyes, large teeth, stub tail, long claws. Normally they have a shiny brown coat.

Habitat:

Sonoran Desert

Notes:

We have discovered these guys living in our chicken coop, outside shower, front and back yards. We see a large pile of dirt appear first, then watch the hole. We see them peek out, checking to be sure it's safe, then they run out and grab some food and back up rapidly into their hole. We could watch them for hours!!