Pocket gophers are insatiable herbivores, while moles have a consistently large appetite for insects, larvae and earthworms.
Many a desert gardener has been exasperated by the voracious appetite and apparent invincibility of pocket gophers.
Pocket gophers are rodents. They are called “pocket” gophers because they have fur-lined pockets on the outside of their cheeks, which they use to store food and nesting material for later use.
Their strong front legs end in large clawed feet, which they use for digging.
Although they do come above ground occasionally to consume tender vegetables in your garden, they live most of their lives underground.
Many people mistake pocket gophers for moles and vice versa. Both tunnel underground, but moles dig just under the surface and leave little dirt ridges above ground. Moles are in the family Talpidae. Pocket gophers (family Geomydae) simply push the dirt out of the tunnel onto the surface at either end of a tunnel.Pocket gophers and moles are hard to exterminate, especially with traps. Poison sometimes works but the poison may affect other wild and domestic life. Flooding the tunnels also works sometimes, but if you live in the desert, that’s the last thing you want to do.
Pocket gophers are insatiable herbivores, while moles aRE carnivores and have a consistently large appetite for insects, larvae and earthworms.
There is some evidence that the castor plant has been effective in repelling gophers from an area. The castor plant produces ricin, which is a poison recently used by terrorists in Tokyo subways.
Both have predators, although pocket gophers have more predators than do moles. One of the reasons may be that moles exude a noxious smell that may put off some predators. Both are taken by owls, snakes, cats, dogs and coyotes. Moles might also be taken by weasels, buzzards, ravens, herons and Tawny owls.
However, the predators responsible for the heaviest destruction of both these animals are undoubtedly gardeners.
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