Southeastern Pocket Gopher Approaching The End - ENN

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BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Can the pocket gopher be saved? The rodent, a secretive animal that usually goes unnoticed underground, is near extinction in south Georgia, biologists say. They're starting a new push to save the creature ecologists say does important work providing habitat for other animals and aerating the soil.

The Southeastern pocket gopher was once common across Georgia's coastal plain but has disappeared from much of its former range, said Jim Ozier, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "It's been an animal that's been largely ignored and gone unnoticed over the years. It is a very secretive animal that has just disappeared quietly," Ozier said.

Named for their pocket-like cheeks, the gophers are vital to the ecosystem. The rodent rarely ventures above ground but is considered a "keystone species" because its elaborate network of underground burrows benefit other animals and plants, Ozier said. The gopher is found only in the coastal plains of Georgia, Florida and Alabama.

Biologists think the species has been devastated by loss of natural habitat -- longleaf pine savannas and naturally vegetated rolling sand hills. The gophers don't migrate and don't adapt very well to new habitat. "If they lose their habitat, they are pretty well gone," Ozier said. Worried that the gopher's decline could have a negative ripple effect on other animals and plants, the department last month launched a two-year survey and population assessment. "Our research will document the decline of pocket gophers in Georgia, identify remaining habitat and discuss steps to ensure the long-term survival of this species," Ozier told the Florida Times-Union.

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