Plains Pocket Gopher

Also known as Eastern Pocket Gopher, Plains Gopher

Plains pocket gophers spend nearly their entire lives underground, constructing extensive tunnel networks using powerful forelimbs and broad, shovel-like incisors that sit outside their lips. Fur-lined cheek pouches allow these solitary rodents to transport roots, tubers, and seeds back to subterranean storage chambers without swallowing dirt. Their constant soil churning aerates prairie ecosystems and recycles nutrients, despite bringing them into frequent conflict with agricultural operations.