What do GOPHERS eat?
Pocket GOPHERS are strict herbivores. People say that GOPHERS are all mouth and no heart because they eat such a wide variety of plants. Their diet shifts seasonally according to the availability of food and its needs for nutrition and water. For example, cactus plants loaded with water may become a major part of their diet during the hot and dry summer months in arid habitats. Plains GOPHERS consume grasses, especially those with rhizomes, but they seem to prefer fleshy plants when they are succulent in spring and summer. GOPHERS eat aboveground parts of vegetation mainly during the growing season, when the vegetation is green and succulent. The height and density of vegetation may also offer protection from predators, reducing the risk of short surface trips. Year-round, however, roots are the major food source. Many trees and shrubs are clipped just above ground level. This occurs mainly during winter under snow cover. Damage may reach as high as 10 feet (3 m) above ground. Seedling
