Montana Field Guide

The Idaho pocket gopher in Montana measures approximately 7 1/2 inches from tip of nose to end of tail. It weighs close to 3 1/2 ounces. Smaller in dimensions and lighter in color than the northern pocket gopher, it shares most of the same characteristics: small ears and small black eyes, short fur, a short, nearly hairless tail (just under 1 3/4 inches in length for the Idaho pocket gopher), well-developed jaw, neck, forearm, and shoulder muscles, long curved claws on its forepaws, exposed yellowish incisors, and the external, furlined cheek pouches, with openings on each side of the mouth. It does not have the black patches around the almost hidden ears. Its fur will be yellowish brown on top, sprinkled with dark brown- and grayish brown-tipped hairs (Foresman 2001). Underneath, it will be yellowish or yellowish brown instead of dark gray, with whitish feet. The fur can be smoothed forward or backward and dark gray fur surrounds its nose (Zeveloff 1988). The Idaho pocket gopher has 20 teeth.

Non-migratory.

Not much information.

Apparently scant information has been produced during T. idahoensis' 14 year history as a species. Probably similar to T. talpoides in many aspects. May be a paler color.