Southeastern Pocket Gopher

Geomys pinetis

Also known as: Cumberland Island Pocket Gopher

LCLeast Concern
AI-generated image: Southeastern pocket gopher half-emerged at its sandy burrow entrance, orange incisors and digging foreclaws visible. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyAI-generated image: Southeastern pocket gopher half-emerged from a sandy burrow. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracyAI-generated image: Southeastern pocket gopher plugging its burrow with sand. No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracy
AI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySoutheastern pocket gopher half-emerged at its sandy burrow entrance, orange incisors and digging foreclaws visibleAI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySoutheastern pocket gopher half-emerged from a sandy burrowAI-generated image No public-domain photograph of this species exists. This image was generated with AI from verified reference material and reviewed by our editorial team for accuracySoutheastern pocket gopher plugging its burrow with sand

Southeastern pocket gophers spend nearly their whole lives underground, leaving sandy mounds as their clearest sign. Strong front feet, exposed digging teeth, and fur-lined cheek pouches equip them for life beneath pine woods and open ground. Records across the southeastern Coastal Plain reveal surveyed locations, but mound visibility and observer effort strongly shape the pattern.

US Range
Explore by state

Southeastern Pocket Gopher across 3 states

Occurrence records, conservation status, and the places it turns up, state by state. Open a state for detail, or visit its full page.

  • FloridaNativeCommon2,300 records

    State rankSecure

    Notable placesOrdway-Swisher Biological Station · Wekiwa Springs State Park · Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park · Ichetucknee Springs State Park

    Countiesrecorded in 12

    Year-round in Florida, with recorded sightings peaking in November–April, with a smaller rise in July–August.

    Full Florida page →All Florida mammals →
  • GeorgiaNativeOccasional192 records

    State rankImperiled

    Notable placesCumberland Island National Seashore · Georgia Veterans State Park · Fall Line Sandhills Natural Area

    Countiesrecorded in 12

    Year-round in Georgia, with recorded sightings peaking in April, with a smaller rise in November.

    Full Georgia page →All Georgia mammals →
  • AlabamaNativeOccasional115 records

    State rankVulnerable

    Notable placesWehle Nature Preserve · Wehle Nature Center · Conecuh National Forest · Barbour Wildlife Management Area

    Countiesrecorded in 12

    Year-round in Alabama, with recorded sightings peaking in March.

    Full Alabama page →All Alabama mammals →

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.

SizeSoutheastern Pocket Gopher beside a 1.8 m adult, drawn to scale
Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019
Body length
24–24 cm9 in–9 in
Weight
196–196 g6.9–6.9 oz

Silhouettes drawn to scale against a 1.8 m5 ft 11 in adult.

Elevation

From 200 georeferenced records, the Southeastern Pocket Gopher is recorded from sea levelsea level to 197 m646 ft, with half of sightings below 29 m95 ft.

Each band shows the share of georeferenced sightings that fall within it. Records cluster where people live and hike, so low, populated elevations are over-represented. Read this as observation density, not true abundance.

Observation peakMarch278 records

Seasonality from research-grade observation dates across the US (278 records, all years). Reflects when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Best encounter

Where and when to see a Southeastern Pocket Gopher

Your best chance: Florida, in March.

Where
FloridaFL
When
March

Life history

The Southeastern Pocket Gopher (196 g6.9 oz) is a herbivore that first breeds around 0.5 years, carries a 28-day gestation, and bears about 1.8 young per litter.

Life cycle

  1. Gestation28 days
  2. Birthlitter of 1.8 young
  3. Sexual maturity0.5 yr (female)
  4. Typical lifespan2 years

Reproduction

Gestation
28days
Litter size
1.8youngaverage
Litters / year
1.87litters
Age at first breeding
0.5years

Diet composition

Herbivore

By foraging composition: 100% plant material.

  • Plant material100%

Most active around the clock.

Typical values for the species, not local measurements.

Commonly confused with

Animals people sometimes mistake for the southeastern pocket gopher, and how to tell them apart.

Built to dig through sand

This pocket gopher has a thick body, small eyes, short ears, and strong front claws. Its lips close behind the front teeth, keeping soil out while it digs. External cheek pouches carry food. A short tail helps it feel backward through tunnels.

A private tunnel system

It favors deep, loose soils in pine flatwoods, sandhills, fields, and roadsides. One adult maintains a branching burrow and usually defends it. Fresh fan-shaped mounds show where soil has been pushed from a plugged side tunnel.

Roots, tubers, and underground stems provide much of the diet. Digging mixes soil and creates shelter later used by insects and other small animals.

Range and young

The species occurs in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Young grow in a protected nest chamber before leaving to establish tunnels. Roads and dense development can divide sandy habitat and make above-ground travel dangerous.

Reading mound records

The IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Local colonies can still disappear when open sandy ground changes. Recorded locations aren’t a measure of abundance because mounds are easier to notice beside roads and trails.

Sources

  1. GBIF – Geomys pinetis
  2. Wikipedia – Southeastern pocket gopher
  3. iNaturalist – Southeastern Pocket Gopher
  4. Wikidata – Southeastern pocket gopher
  5. OpenTopoData – SRTM elevation lookup

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
  • PhyloPicCC0 / CC-BY per itemthe to-scale silhouettesXavier A. Jenkins (Geomys) · Andrew A. Farke (human silhouette, CC-BY 3.0)
  • AnAge (HAGR)CC-BY 3.0longevity, maturity, and gestation figures
  • IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
  • Amniote Life-History DatabaseCC0 · public domainreproduction figures
  • EltonTraitsCC0 · public domaindiet and foraging-activity data