Wisconsin mammals

Plains Pocket Gopher in Wisconsin

Geomys bursarius

Native to Wisconsin S4 Apparently Secure in Wisconsin

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

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Plains pocket gopher emerging from a burrow in reddish soilLive plains pocket gopher in side profile, showing its stout body, tiny ears, and large curved digging clawsLive plains pocket gopher crouched low in green grass, its small ear, blunt snout, and stout forepaws visible
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 Wisconsin, by the numbers

Rare in Wisconsin 52nd most recorded of 75 mammals logged in Wisconsin

71 occurrence records
19 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 22, 2026 Last seen in Wisconsin

Records from 2000–2026.

71 total records count every Wisconsin occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 70; the monthly chart covers the 70 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Plains Pocket Gopher in Wisconsin

Most sightings fall in July.

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

Monthly Wisconsin records (table)
MonthRecords
January0
February1
March2
April6
May3
June7
July23
August9
September6
October5
November8
December0

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

Seasonality

Year-round in Wisconsin, with recorded sightings peaking in July.

Occurrence map

Where Plains Pocket Gopher has been recorded in Wisconsin

70 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

70 Wisconsin records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Crex Meadows Wildlife Area 2

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 Wisconsin

CountyRecords
Richland County 29
Jackson County 7
Monroe County 6
Burnett County 5
Dunn County 4
Sauk County 3
Douglas County 3
Bayfield County 3
Eau Claire County 2
St. Croix County 2
Clark County 2
Dane County 1
3 other counties 4

The complete county distribution, spread across 15 Wisconsin counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Wisconsin Plains Pocket Gopher records are concentrated in the west and southwest, where Driftless slopes, prairie remnants, and farm fields provide deep, workable soils. The April, June, and September pulses likely mix fresh mound visibility with field surveys and seasonal soil conditions; public landmarks such as the Upper Mississippi refuge and Devil’s Lake are orientation points, not proof of occupancy throughout those properties.

Only 19 of the 71 records are from iNaturalist, and many detections may be burrow systems or specimens rather than visible animals. These occurrence records do not estimate abundance: soil disturbance, land access, and targeted collecting strongly determine where pocket gophers are documented.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Plains pocket gopher emerging from a burrow in reddish soil
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 Wisconsin 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"