Updated on March 8, 2023
If you are here reading this, I’m sure you know about gophers and the problems they can cause in your yard.
These seemingly cute and furry critters can quickly make a perfectly level lawn anything but perfect as they dig and bring mounds of dirt to the surface.
Gophers, who are also called pocket gophers, have cheek pouches that help them carry food around from one place to another. They are rodents that belong to the family Geomyidae.
But this is all primary information; it’s time we now answer some more prevalent questions about them including what they look like, whether they have tails, and what they eat. Keep reading to learn more.
See Also: Are Moles Blind or Can They See?
Do Gophers Have Tails?
For some reason, one of the most common questions centers around the uncertain existence of a gopher’s tail.
But, yes. A gopher does in fact have a tail.
An adult gopher can weigh up to half a pound and be about 6-8 inches in length. However, a few species of gopher could weigh over 2 pounds!
A gopher tail is thick with a skinny, unnoticeable line of hair. The color of the tail is close to the color of the soil.
See Also: Do Gophers Carry Rabies?
What Does a Gopher Look Like?
It’s very important to know what you are dealing with in order to treat the situation right. A common garden pocket gopher looks like some type of rodent.
A typical gopher is larger in size than the normal mouse, slightly smaller than a rat. It is often mistaken for a groundhog, mole, or prairie dog.
Gophers have small ears, short limbs, and loose skin with a pouch extended to their ears.
Gopher Damage
Gopher damage is as annoying as any other rodent damage. As they dig their tunnels through the ground, the Gophers leave behind mounds of soil on the surface of your yard.
Not only can gophers damage yards, orchards and gardens can be ruined when they go tunneling in search of food through roots.
And since gophers do not hibernate, they can devote most of their time to this very pursuit. It is recorded that a single gopher can excavate up to 800 feet (2.67 football fields long) of tunnels beneath one acre of land.
Gophers construct these complex burrows underground to spend most of their time in those tunnels.
What Do Gophers Eat?
Gophers feed on various plant roots, tubers, bulbs, seeds, shrubs, and vines. They love vegetables including: carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and others.
Often irrigation lines and sprinkler systems are damaged by gophers leading to costly repairs.
Their nonstop digging in search of food means that gopher tunnels can actually cause soil erosion.
The dirt mounds they leave behind transform pristine yards of the properties in a short span of time as they dig tunnels under acres of land.
The damage that one single gopher can cause is hard to imagine.
Read Also: Juicy Fruit Gum Kills Gophers (Fact or Fiction?)
Gopher Pest Control
As mentioned above, gophers can wreak havoc on your garden and backyard especially if more than one gopher takes residence.
In the case of a heavy gopher infestation, it is advisable to hire a professional exterminator who could remove these buggers from your property before it’s too late.
For more information, click the link below to get free quotes from local pest control companies so that you can easily get rid of your gopher infestation problem.
Final Words
So, to sum it up… YES, gophers do have tails.
However, most importantly, they can threaten the peace and beauty of your garden. These pests together can cause extensive damage to the properties.
They can most certainly ruin your favorite garden vegetables or beautiful flower beds.
The removal of these pests single-handedly is not easy so seeking professional help is a sound investment when dealing with gophers.
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