Gopher

rodent · underground · tunneler · North America

Master tunnelers. Gophers are famous for digging long networks of tunnels under the ground. They use their powerful front teeth and strong claws to move tons of dirt and create underground highways.

Cheek pouches. Gophers have special pouches in their cheeks, kind of like built-in grocery bags, that help them carry food and nesting materials through their tunnels.

Only in the Americas. All 41 species of gophers live in North and Central America, and nowhere else in the wild. They've made these regions their home for millions of years.

Farm troublemakers. When gophers tunnel under gardens and farms, their burrows can damage crops and make the ground bumpy and unsafe. Farmers have been trying to manage gopher populations for hundreds of years.

Mostly blind. Gophers have very small eyes and rely much more on their sense of touch and smell to find their way through dark tunnels underground.