Description
G. bursarius has short fur with brown to black coloration over the upper body and lighter brown or tan fur on the underparts. Whitish hairs cover the tops of the feet while the short, tapered tail is nearly naked. Fossorial adaptations include small eyes, short, naked ears, large forefeet with heavy claws. Zygomatic arches are widely flared, providing ample room for muscle attachment, although, unlike other pocket gophers, this species does not use the curved incisors to assist the feet in digging. The external cheek pouches, which distinguish this family from other mammals, can be turned inside-out for grooming purposes. They are used for carrying food up to 7 centimetres (2.8 in) in length and have a forward opening.
Other adaptations to a fossorial lifestyle include a low resting metabolic rate of 0.946 ml O2/g/h, and high conductance, a tolerance for low oxygen levels and high carbon dioxide levels, and a decreased water intake.
Males are significantly larger than females, with a total body length of 25 to 35 centimetres (9.8 to 14 in), compared with 21 to 32 centimetres (8.3 to 13 in) in females. The tail is short and hairless, reaching 5 to 11 centimetres (2.0 to 4.3 in) in length, and only marginally longer in males. Adults males weigh from 230 to 473 grams (8.1 to 16.7 oz) and females 128 to 380 grams (4.5 to 13 oz).
Read more about this topic: Plains Pocket Gopher
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