Plains Pocket Gopher in Nebraska

Geomys bursarius

Native to Nebraska S5 Secure in Nebraska

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

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Sam Kieschnick · CC BYPlains pocket gopher emerging from a burrow in reddish soilPhoto: Unknown author · Public domainLive plains pocket gopher in side profile, showing its stout body, tiny ears, and large curved digging clawsPhoto: Evan H · CC BY 4.0Live plains pocket gopher crouched low in green grass, its small ear, blunt snout, and stout forepaws visible

Plains Pocket Gopher in Nebraska, by the numbers

Occasional in Nebraska 38th most recorded of 95 mammals logged in Nebraska

39 occurrence records

17 with iNaturalist photos

May 30, 2026 Last seen in Nebraska

Records from 2000–2026.

39 total records count every Nebraska occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 38; the monthly chart covers the 38 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Plains Pocket Gopher in Nebraska

Most sightings fall in June.

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

Monthly Nebraska records (table)

Month	Records
January	0
February	0
March	2
April	5
May	4
June	11
July	3
August	3
September	6
October	3
November	0
December	1

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Nebraska, with recorded sightings peaking in June.

Occurrence map

Where Plains Pocket Gopher has been recorded in Nebraska

38 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

38 Nebraska records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monument	iNaturalist records
Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area	1
Scotts Bluff National Monument	1
Niobrara National Scenic River	1

Protected places with the most plains 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 Nebraska

County	Records
Douglas County	5
Garden County	5
Scotts Bluff County	4
Nemaha County	3
Pierce County	3
Kimball County	3
Keith County	2
Rock County	2
Buffalo County	2
Hitchcock County	1
Lincoln County	1
Madison County	1
6 other counties	7

The complete county distribution, spread across 18 Nebraska counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Plains pocket gophers spend nearly their entire lives underground, so most of Nebraska’s 39 records, 35 of them, come through GBIF specimen and survey data, though iNaturalist still contributes 17, a fair share for an animal that’s rarely seen above ground even where it’s well established. NatureServe rates the state population S5, secure.

June leads the calendar with 11 of the year’s monthly-tallied records, and May through July together hold close to half, tracking spring soil-moisture conditions and peak field season, while the record shows nothing at all in January, February, or November.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Plains Pocket Gopher Geomys bursarius Size 25–35 cm9.8–13.8 in Weight 187 g6.6 oz Lifespan Up to 12 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Nebraska 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"