Botta's Pocket Gopher
Megascapheus bottae
Adult Botta's pocket gophers live almost entirely underground in dry grasslands, chaparral, agricultural fields, and open scrub across western North America. They feed mainly on roots, bulbs, tubers, and leafy plants, using fur-lined cheek pouches to carry food and nesting material. Each adult maintains a solitary tunnel network and seals openings with soil plugs to conserve humidity and avoid predators. Their large incisors can close outside the lips while digging, a useful adaptation that keeps dirt out of the mouth.
- Type
- Burrow
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- ?
- ?
- Botta's Pocket Gopher