Thomomys mazama (western pocket gopher)
| Diet | herbivore – leaves, stems, tubers and roots of grasses, forbs, and other plants |
| Habitat | Prairies, meadows, orchards. Range limited to Pacific Northwest, rare. |
| Description | Usually brown back with lighter belly, large black patch behind ear; chest often has white splotches. (Some populations are black.) Tip of tail is usually buff, white, or light gray and may be almost naked. Smaller than T. bulbivorus. Generally darker than T. talpoides but cannot be reliably distinguished by pelt from this species.
Use range to assist ID. |
| Skull Characteristics | No (or small) sphenoidal fissure; small size |
| Notes |
Links to more species information: Smithsonian Animal Diversity Web |