Oregon mammals

Mazama pocket gopher in Oregon

Thomomys mazama

Native to Oregon S4 Apparently Secure in Oregon

Not listed as nonindigenous in Oregon by USGS NAS; native to its Oregon range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: USFWS / Z. Radmer · Public domainLive Yelm pocket gopher (a Mazama pocket gopher subspecies) peering out of its burrow entrance amid grass, South Puget Sound region of WashingtonPhoto: USFWS - Pacific Region · Public domainLive Mazama pocket gopher at its burrow entrance in grass

Photo: USFWS / Z. Radmer · Public domainLive Yelm pocket gopher (a Mazama pocket gopher subspecies) peering out of its burrow entrance amid grass, South Puget Sound region of WashingtonPhoto: USFWS - Pacific Region · Public domainLive Mazama pocket gopher at its burrow entrance in grass

Mazama pocket gopher in Oregon, by the numbers

Occasional in Oregon 77th most recorded of 178 mammals logged in Oregon

604 occurrence records

13 with iNaturalist photos

Aug 3, 2024 Last seen in Oregon

Records from 2000–2026.

604 total records count every Oregon occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 300.

When to look for the Mazama pocket gopher in Oregon

Most sightings fall in June to October.

604 Oregon occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Oregon records (table)

Month	Records
January	5
February	7
March	39
April	18
May	36
June	83
July	85
August	115
September	83
October	92
November	27
December	14

Monthly mazama pocket gopher occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Oregon, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Oregon, with recorded sightings peaking in June–October.

Occurrence map

Where Mazama pocket gopher has been recorded in Oregon

300 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

300 Oregon records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Crater Lake National Park	20
Three Sisters Wilderness	11
Mount Jefferson Wilderness	7
Deschutes National Forest	7
Mt. Hood National Forest	6
Siuslaw National Forest	5
Mount Hood Wilderness	4
Rock Creek Wilderness	3

Protected places with the most mazama pocket gopher sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Oregon

County	Records
Douglas County	99
Deschutes County	78
Tillamook County	75
Hood River County	67
Lane County	58
Klamath County	53
Clackamas County	30
Jackson County	27
Yamhill County	25
Curry County	19
Jefferson County	17
Clatsop County	12
8 other counties	44

The complete county distribution, spread across 20 Oregon counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Mazama pocket-gopher records connect Crater Lake and other Cascade uplands with scattered western Oregon sites, reflecting the species’ patchy occurrence in suitable soils rather than a continuous mountain-wide band. Reports are concentrated from June through August, with an additional October rise and very little winter documentation. Gophers are often detected through signs or targeted work, so the record series does not measure their abundance.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Mazama pocket gopher Thomomys mazama Size 22.5 cm8.9 in Weight 87–105 g3.1–3.7 oz Lifespan Up to 5 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Oregon in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries
USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"