A small, shy, and secretive rodent found only in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, particularly in western Oregon and southern Washington. It belongs to the smooth-toothed pocket gopher genus Thomomys, and is named after Mount Mazama, the collapsed volcano that now forms Crater Lake in Oregon. This species is endemic, meaning it’s found nowhere else in the world, and some of its subspecies are among the rarest and most threatened mammals in North America.

Like its relatives, the Mazama pocket gopher is built for life underground. It has a chunky body, short legs, small eyes and ears, and large curved front claws that make it an expert digger. Its fur-lined cheek pouches are used to carry food back to its burrow — mostly roots, bulbs, and stems. One of its most useful adaptations is the ability to close its lips behind its large front teeth, allowing it to chew through soil without swallowing dirt. It rarely appears above ground, and when it does, it’s usually just to push soil up into a mound — a clear sign that a gopher is hard at work below.

Mazama pocket gophers are solitary and territorial, each one living in its own elaborate tunnel system. These underground homes have separate chambers for nesting, storing food, and going to the bathroom. The tunnels also serve as protection from predators like hawks, coyotes, and snakes. Despite their small size and quiet nature, Mazama pocket gophers have a big impact on their environment. Their digging activity helps aerate the soil, spread nutrients, and encourage plant diversity, making them important contributors to the health of prairie and meadow ecosystems.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

United States

>100,000

Official estimate

LC

2016

California, Washington, Oregon