The valley pocket gopher is found through most of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and southwestern Colorado. The one below was in a campground at San Simeon State Park relatively near the ocean. They vary widely in size and color.
The next gopher is one we found dead on our back lawn in Redlands. It was either a casualty of poison or one of our cats.
This picture shows its amazing teeth and digging paws. We are in a constant battle with the gophers in our backyard, but I have never seen one alive.
I would suspect that it was more likely struck by lightening than the result of anything a cat might have done, vile and useless creatures as they are (cats, I mean).
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