Photo Travis Blunden ©

Ever wondered what causes these sand mounds that appear overnight in the yard? The culprit is a small burrowing rodent known as a pocket gopher. Locals call them sandy mounders, a name which is occasionally corrupted to salamander.

Pocket gophers are common in Florida but almost impossible to see. They spend their lives underground, excavating tunnels and collecting roots and stems which they store in underground larders. It has been estimated that a single pocket gopher can create as many as 300 mounds and move 4 tons of dirt in a year. These half-pound rodents get their name from the furry pouches on either side of their mouths, which they use to carry food back to their underground storehouses.

Very occasionally, you might be lucky enough to see a pocket gopher emerge from a mound to push a load of dirt to the surface. They usually do this at night, and barn owls are one of their main predators.

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