Pocket gopher Thomomys bottae
Pocket gophers, like moles, spend most of their time burrowing underground. They are rodents which have become adapted to digging; they have very small eyes and ears, large forefeet, and stocky bodies. They also possess fur-lined cheek pouches in which they carry food for storage in their labyrinthine tunnels. Botta pocket gophers are usually dull brown in color and prefer to live in areas with light, sandy soils. They feed mainly on roots, tubers, bulbs, and the tender bases of growing plants. They are active during the day, but will rarely ever be seen above ground. The only sign of their presence is usually a gopher mound, a small mound of earth pushed outside of an obvious tunnel entrance, which can sometimes be found in the drier meadows or clearings in the forest.