| Smooth-toothed pocket gophers Temporal range: Early Pliocene - Recent |
|
|---|---|
| Thomomys bottae | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Geomyidae |
| Subfamily: | Thomomyinae Russell, 1968 |
| Genus: | Thomomys Wied-Neuwied, 1839 |
| Species | |
|
Thomomys talpoides |
|
The smooth-toothed pocket gophers, genus Thomomys, are so called because they are among the only pocket gophers without grooves on their incisors. They are also called the Western pocket gophers because they are distributed in western North America. They are considered distinct enough from other pocket gophers to be recognized as a separate subfamily or tribe.
Thomomys is highly fossorial. They rely on their incisors for digging more than most other gophers. They feed on plants, largely from beneath the surface, but they do come above ground at night. Roots, stems, leaves, and bulbs are eaten. When not directly in an agricultural field they are a benefit to humans by enriching soil and preventing runoff.
Over a hundred subspecies have been described, but not all are currently recognized by modern authorities. Like many fossorial rodents, Thomomys shows a great deal of allopatric variation.