If you go above the White Oak Pavilion at the arboretum, you will see mounds of dirt everywhere. This is the industrious work of a pocket gopher. They dig extensive tunnels and all that dirt gets deposited out in these fan-shaped mounds. If you sit quietly and wait, you will see them shoveling dirt out of a hole, and with a burst of energy, launch the soil away from the entrance. They get their name from fur-lined cheek pouches that they use to transport plant food that they gather in their underground tunnels. Sometimes when I am walking along the trail, I will see vegetation moving and then slowly disappearing as it is pulled underground. I often see them pausing at the entrance of the hole, cautiously sniffing the air. At that moment, I noticed that there was a white patch on its chin. When I looked it up, this species of pocket gopher (Thomomys bulbivorus) is endemic to the Willamette Valley.
