There are many kinds of gophers, each with its own name. Do you know how the pocket gopher got his? It was given because of the remarkable fur-lined pockets on the outside of its head, stretching from its mouth to its neck. In them it stuffs food to carry to storage chambers. There they are emptied by turning the pockets inside out, after which the busy little fellow returns to get another load until enough is put away for the winter. Squirrels and chipmunks have cheek pouches for carrying food, too, but this is the only rodent having large fur-lined pockets on the outside of its body—therefore the name “pocket gopher.”
Few people have seen these gophers, for they seldom come out of their burrows and never go more than a few feet away, except when exploring for food. They themselves are food for snakes, birds and larger animals and so are nervous, darting quickly into their homes when danger is near.
This six to ten-inch rodent, weighing less than a pound, is found over wide areas of Canada, United States, Mexico and Central America. The most noticeable things about it are its large, long and sharp-pointed front claws, and its big yellow teeth which are always showing, even when its mouth is closed. It has a large head with very small eyes and ears.
One might wonder why the Creator designed it this way. The reason must be that most of its life is spent digging burrows, and these features are a real help for this. Those big teeth, incidentally, are not only for gnawing food, but are real power shovels, working with the claws when digging. What a wonderful provider the Lord God is for His creatures!
The main burrow may be 500 feet long with branches and storage areas along the sides. The tunnels, which are always being lengthened, are about a foot below the surface, but go much deeper where the grass-lined den is placed. At the tunnel’s entrance a mound appears, but the tunnel itself is plugged and only opened when it is necessary to look for food or to let sunshine and fresh air in.
The pocket gopher’s digging opens up otherwise hard ground, allowing moisture to penetrate rather than run off. However, because they eat plants around their burrows they are not welcome guests to farmers who grow crops.
This is just one more of God’s underground creatures that show the wonders of His creation and the diversity of life He has created for this earth. The Psalmist was impressed with this when he wrote: “Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are... in the earth!” Psalms 113:5,65Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high, 6Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth! (Psalm 113:5‑6).
Do you know that loving One not only as the Creator, but also as your personal Saviour?
ML-09/23/1984