The Plains Pocket Gopher is a medium-size rodent with a disproportionately massive front end, including an impressive head and strong, curved claws. Its diet consists mostly of roots and tubers located by tunneling through loose soil. Like most pocket gophers, it tends to be nocturnal, and owls are among the main predators. Over their geographic range, populations tend to vary in coat coloration, from light brown to chocolate brown to black, and these variations correspond to soil color.

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Mammal Species of the World