Gopher vs. Ground Squirrel: How to Tell Them Apart

The fastest way to tell them apart is to look at the hole. A ground squirrel leaves an open burrow entrance and is out in daylight, running across the lawn. A pocket gopher stays underground, leaves a fan-shaped mound of fresh soil, and plugs the tunnel opening behind it. Per Oregon State University Extension, pocket gophers spend 99 percent of their lives underground, while ground squirrels feed mostly above ground.

That one difference changes everything that follows: what gets damaged, which tools work, and whether you are dealing with the right animal at all. Many people also call ground squirrels “gophers,” which is how the confusion starts.

TL;DR

• Open hole, animal seen in daylight: ground squirrel. Fresh fan-shaped mound with a plugged hole, animal never seen: pocket gopher.
• Gophers eat roots and pull plants underground. Ground squirrels eat grasses, seeds and other plants above ground.
• Control methods differ. Trap sets that work on gophers do little against a squirrel, and gas cartridges that sometimes work on squirrels fail on gophers.
• Moles are a third animal. Their mounds are round and volcano-shaped, and they eat insects and worms, not plants.
• Get the ID right before you spend money on traps, bait or a professional.

Table of Contents

• Why people mix them up
• Side-by-side comparison
• How to identify a pocket gopher
• How to identify a ground squirrel
• And what about moles?
• Why the right ID decides what works
• Does it need treating at all?
• Prevention that helps with both
• Our perspective: identify first, then trap
• When to call a specialist
• FAQ
• Sources

Why people mix them up

The word “gopher” is used loosely across the country. In some regions it means any burrowing rodent that pops up on a lawn or pasture. Extension offices in Montana, for example, write about ground squirrels that locals commonly call gophers. The true pocket gopher is a different animal, built for life in the soil.

So when you search “gopher vs ground squirrel,” you are really asking two things. Which animal do I have? And does it matter? It does, because the damage patterns and the control options are different.

Side-by-side comparison

The sources behind each row: OSU Extension on plugged tunnels versus open entrances, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources on ground squirrels being social and diurnal with a semi-bushy tail, and Montana State University on ground squirrels hibernating and living in burrows with many entrances.

How to identify a pocket gopher

Pocket gophers are rarely seen above ground. According to the UC Statewide IPM Program, they build tunnel systems 6 to 12 inches beneath the surface, and one system can cover a large area. You usually learn about them from the evidence.

What to look for:

• Fan-shaped or crescent-shaped mounds. The hole sits off to one side of the mound, and it is plugged with soil. OSU Extension describes gopher mounds as flat and fan-shaped, unlike the rounded mole mound.
• Plants that vanish or wilt. Gophers eat roots and can pull whole plants underground. A shrub that suddenly tips over or a vegetable that disappears overnight is a classic sign.
• Damaged irrigation. UC IPM notes that gopher gnawing can damage irrigation lines and sprinkler systems. Unexplained wet spots or low pressure can point to a chewed line.
• New mounds after rain or irrigation. Fresh soil piles that appear in a line often track a tunnel running below.

If you see mounds but never see the animal, a gopher is the better guess than a ground squirrel.

How to identify a ground squirrel

Ground squirrels are the ones you actually watch. They are active during the day, and they feed above ground, according to OSU Extension. UC ANR describes them as gray-brown with a semi-bushy tail.

What to look for:

• Open burrow holes. Unlike a gopher, a ground squirrel leaves its entrances open. A colony can leave a field or lawn pocked with holes, often with several entrances to the same system.
• An animal sitting upright and watching. If you can see it, it is probably not a pocket gopher.
• Eaten crops and grass. Montana State notes that ground squirrels mostly eat grasses, forbs and seeds.
• Damaged trees and irrigation. UC ANR lists girdling of trees and chewed irrigation lines among the damage.
• Winter quiet. Ground squirrels hibernate, so a hole that is busy in summer and silent in January fits a squirrel. Gophers stay active year-round.

And what about moles?

Moles are the third suspect, and they are the one we know best. Moles are not rodents. According to OSU Extension, mole mounds are volcano-shaped and rounded with no visible plug, because moles eat insects, not plants. If your lawn has neat cone-shaped hills but your plants are fine, think mole.

Voles are a fourth possibility. The same OSU article says voles leave small, mouse-sized holes and runways through the grass.

Quick field guide:

1. Round volcano cones, no plant loss: mole.
2. Fan-shaped mound with a plugged hole, plants dying: pocket gopher.
3. Open holes and a daytime animal: ground squirrel.
4. Small holes joined by runways in the grass: vole.

Many yards have more than one animal at once, so check across the whole property, not just one spot.

Why the right ID decides what works

Control methods that suit one animal often fail on another. This is where homeowners lose money.

Gophers

Pocket gophers are best handled with traps. UC IPM says two-pronged pincer traps such as the Gophinator, Macabee and Cinch are effective when set in the main tunnel, and that trapping is most successful in spring and fall when new mounds appear. The same page notes that fumigants are largely ineffective unless the soil is moist or clay-heavy.

OSU Extension adds that commercial baits are often less effective than trapping because gophers instinctively plug tunnels. Gas cartridges and “gassers” are widely considered ineffective because a gopher can seal off a section of burrow almost instantly.

Ground squirrels

Because squirrels forage above ground, the toolkit looks different. UC IPM’s page lists bait stations, burrow fumigants and landscape traps among the options. A Montana pest-control article reports that gas cartridges have a 62 to 86 percent efficacy against ground squirrels but are not effective against gophers. Check this against the source before you rely on it, since regional methods vary.

Rules also vary. UC IPM points out that some states require special permits for ground squirrel control, so check your state wildlife agency or local extension office before you do anything involving bait or fumigants.

Gadgets and home remedies

Vibrating stakes, ultrasonic repellers and pinwheels sell well, but OSU Extension says they are not supported by research as effective for gopher control. Gophers already live with vibration from mowers, sprinklers and foot traffic. OSU Extension also says that gadget-based and homemade remedies have not been scientifically proven and that lasting control takes an integrated approach, not a quick fix.

Does it need treating at all?

Not always. OSU Extension advises homeowners to consider their own tolerance for damage first, since a few holes in a lawn may not justify aggressive action. Burrowing animals also aerate soil and mix nutrients.

Act sooner if you have:

• A vegetable garden or young trees losing plants to roots or girdling.
• Chewed irrigation lines or sprinkler heads.
• A lawn that is becoming unsafe to walk or mow because of holes.
• A property with horses, children or pets that could be hurt by open holes.

UC IPM says early detection is critical to prevention. Catching a single gopher is much easier than a settled population.

Prevention that helps with both

Pest professionals quoted by UC IPM say prevention is the most cost-efficient approach. Their guidance for fields includes:

• Remove debris piles and other habitat before problems start.
• Destroy old burrows before planting.
• Use underground exclusion, such as hardware cloth or 3/4-inch poultry wire beneath new plantings.

For a home garden, lining raised beds with hardware cloth is the practical version of this advice.

Predators help in the long run, but be careful with poison. OSU Extension warns that secondary poisoning can harm the owls, snakes and hawks that would otherwise help keep rodents in check.

Our perspective: identify first, then trap

We only work on moles, and in Oregon on gophers and voles. That narrow focus teaches you one thing quickly: most of the calls we get start with the wrong name for the animal. A homeowner says “gophers,” and the mounds are mole hills. Or the reverse.

The lesson is simple. Treat the evidence, not the label. A mole mound, a gopher mound and a squirrel hole each call for a different plan. A lawn can sit through three seasons of repellents and bait when one correctly placed trap in the right tunnel would have solved it.

We also share OSU Extension’s view that temporary fixes do not last. A tunnel system that is not dealt with at its source tends to be reoccupied. That is why our service is built around strategic trapping and clear communication, so you know what we found, where we set traps and what happens next.

One honest limit: ground squirrels are a different job from the moles and gophers we handle. If your holes are open and the animal runs in daylight, we will tell you that rather than sell you a service that does not fit.

— Mak

When to call a specialist

Trapping a gopher or mole sounds easy until you are tracing tunnels, choosing the right trap position and returning to check it. Call a professional when:

• You have tried repellents or gadgets for weeks with no change.
• The damage is spreading across a large lawn, garden or commercial property.
• You are not sure which animal it is.
• You do not have the time to check traps often.

If you have moles, our 5-Week Mole Service is a structured program of inspection and trap placement for active damage, and The Mole Dominator Plan provides year-round protection when moles keep coming back. In Oregon, our gopher and vole control covers the rodents discussed above. Property managers can look at our commercial mole control. For a general overview, see The Mole Busters.

FAQ

How do I know if I have ground squirrels or gophers?

Look at the hole and the time of day. Open burrow entrances and an animal active in daylight point to ground squirrels. A fresh fan-shaped mound with a plugged opening and no animal in sight points to a pocket gopher.

Is a 13-lined ground squirrel the same as a gopher?

No. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is a ground squirrel, which is a different animal from a pocket gopher. Some regions call ground squirrels “gophers” in everyday speech, which causes the mix-up. Pocket gophers spend almost all their time underground and plug their tunnel openings.

Do gophers and ground squirrels live in the same burrows?

Not as a rule. Ground squirrels dig burrows with open, often multiple entrances. Gophers build their own tunnel systems 6 to 12 inches below the surface and keep them closed. The two can be present in the same yard, so check the whole property.

Can the same trap catch a gopher and a ground squirrel?

Usually not. Gopher traps are designed to be set inside a closed tunnel, while squirrels travel above ground and need different set-ups. Using the wrong method wastes time and may violate local rules, since some states require permits for ground squirrel control.

Are moles, gophers and ground squirrels all rodents?

Gophers and ground squirrels are rodents. Moles are not. They are insect-eaters, which is why mole mounds appear without plant damage, as OSU Extension notes.

Sources

• Managing Gophers, OSU Extension
• Pocket Gophers, UC Statewide IPM Program
• Pocket Gophers in prune orchards, UC IPM
• How to identify and manage moles, voles and gophers in Oregon gardens, OSU Extension
• Strategies for rodent control, OSU Extension
• Managing vertebrates in citrus, UC IPM
• An integrated approach to managing ground squirrels and pocket gophers, UC ANR
• Non chemical control of Richardson’s and Columbian ground squirrels, Montana State University
• Non-Chemical Ground Squirrel Control, Montana State University Extension

Written with the help of BabyLoveGrowth