Gopher vs. Rat: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
Gophers are burrowing rodents with cheek pouches, differing from rats, which are larger, omnivorous rodents without cheek pouches.
Key Differences
Gophers are small, burrowing rodents with large cheek pouches for carrying food, while rats are generally larger, with long tails and prominent ears and eyes.
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Dec 06, 2023
Gophers live underground in extensive tunnel systems, primarily in North and Central America, whereas rats inhabit diverse environments globally, often near human settlements.
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Gophers are herbivores, eating plants, roots, and tubers, contrasting with rats, which are omnivores and often consume human food waste.
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Gophers are solitary and spend most of their life underground, unlike rats, which are social and adaptable, often living in groups.
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Gophers are known for damaging crops and gardens through their burrowing activities, while rats are notorious for spreading diseases and damaging property.
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Comparison Chart
Diet
Herbivorous, eats plants and roots
Omnivorous, eats a wide range of foods
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Habitat
Underground burrows in North/Central America
Diverse, often near human settlements globally
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Social Behavior
Solitary, less visible to humans
Social, often seen in groups
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Gopher and Rat Definitions
Gopher
A mascot or symbol for sports teams, notably the University of Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers won the championship.
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Rat
Commonly used in scientific research and experiments.
The laboratory rats were used in a behavioral study.
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Gopher
A person who runs errands, often in an office setting.
As an intern, I was the office gopher.
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Rat
In slang, a term for a police officer or informant.
They suspected there was a rat among them, tipping off the police.
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Gopher
A protocol for retrieving documents in the early internet.
Before the web, we used Gopher to access online documents.
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Rat
Any of various long-tailed rodents resembling mice but larger, especially one of the genus Rattus.
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Gopher
A term used colloquially for a golf course worker.
The gopher repaired the divots on the course.
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Gopher
A small, burrowing rodent known for its cheek pouches.
The gopher popped out of its hole in the garden.
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Rat
A despicable person, especially one who betrays or informs upon associates.
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Gopher
Any of various short-tailed, burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae of North America, having fur-lined external cheek pouches. Also called pocket gopher.
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Rat
A pad of material, typically hair, worn as part of a woman's coiffure to puff out her own hair.
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Rat
(Slang) A person who frequently passes time at a particular place. Often used in combination
A rink rat.
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Gopher
A small burrowing rodent native to North and Central America, especially in the family Geomyidae (true gophers).
Pocket gopher
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Rat
(Slang) To reveal incriminating or embarrassing information about someone, especially to a person in authority
Ratted on his best friend to the police.
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Gopher
One of several North American burrowing rodents of the genera Geomys and Thomomys, of the family Geomyidæ; - called also pocket gopher and pouched rat. See Pocket gopher, and Tucan.
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Gopher
One of several western American species of the genus Spermophilus, of the family Sciuridæ; as, the gray gopher (Spermophilus Franklini) and the striped gopher (S. tridecemlineatus); - called also striped prairie squirrel, leopard marmot, and leopard spermophile. See Spermophile.
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Rat
(informal) Any of the numerous members of several rodent families (e.g. voles and mice) that resemble true rats in appearance, usually having a pointy snout, a long, bare tail, and body length greater than about 12 cm, or 5 inches.
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Gopher
A large land tortoise (Testudo Carilina) of the Southern United States, which makes extensive burrows.
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Rat
(informal) A person who is known for betrayal; a scoundrel; a quisling.
Rat bastard
What a rat, leaving us stranded here!
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Gopher
A large burrowing snake (Spilotes Couperi) of the Southern United States.
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Gopher
Any of various terrestrial burrowing rodents of Old and New Worlds; often destroy crops
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Rat
(slang) A person who routinely spends time at a particular location.
Our teenager has become a mall rat.
He loved hockey and was a devoted rink rat.
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Gopher
Burrowing rodent of the family Geomyidae having large external cheek pouches; of Central America and southwestern North America
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Rat
A place in the sea with rapid currents and crags where a ship is likely to be torn apart in stormy weather.
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Rat
(usually with “on” or “out”) To betray a person or party, especially by telling their secret to an authority or an enemy; to turn someone in.
He ratted on his coworker.
He is going to rat us out!
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Rat
(regional) To scratch or score.
He ratted a vertical line on his face with a pocket knife.
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Rat
One of several species of small rodents of the genus Rattus (formerly included in Mus) and allied genera, of the family Muridae, distinguished from mice primarily by being larger. They infest houses, stores, and ships, especially the Norway rat, also called brown rat, (Rattus norvegicus formerly Mus decumanus), the black rat (Rattus rattus formerly Mus rattus), and the roof rat (formerly Mus Alexandrinus, now included in Rattus rattus). These were introduced into America from the Old World. The white rat used most commonly in laboratories is primarily a strain derived from Rattus rattus.
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Rat
A round and tapering mass of hair, or similar material, used by women to support the puffs and rolls of their natural hair.
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Rat
One who deserts his party or associates; hence, in the trades, one who works for lower wages than those prescribed by a trades union.
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Rat
In English politics, to desert one's party from interested motives; to forsake one's associates for one's own advantage; in the trades, to work for less wages, or on other conditions, than those established by a trades union.
Coleridge . . . incurred the reproach of having ratted, solely by his inability to follow the friends of his early days.
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Rat
To be an informer (against an associate); to inform (on an associate); to squeal; - used commonly in the phrase to rat on.
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Rat
A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible;
Only a rotter would do that
Kill the rat
Throw the bum out
You cowardly little pukes!
The British call a contemptible person a `git'
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Rat
Desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage
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Rat
Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
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Rat
A large, omnivorous rodent known for its adaptability.
The rat scurried away when it heard us approaching.
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Rat
A person who informs on others, often in a criminal context.
He was labeled a rat after testifying against his co-conspirators.
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Rat
A term used to describe a deceitful or treacherous person.
She felt betrayed, calling him a rat for his actions.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Do gophers hibernate?
Gophers do not truly hibernate but may be less active in winter.
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Can gophers and rats interbreed?
No, they are genetically different and cannot interbreed.
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What diseases can rats carry?
Rats can carry diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, and the plague.
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Are gophers and rats the same species?
No, they belong to different families of rodents.
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Do gophers cause damage to gardens?
Yes, gophers can cause significant damage to gardens and crops.
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Do rats have good eyesight?
Rats have poor eyesight but excellent senses of smell and hearing.
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Can gophers be pests?
Yes, gophers can be considered pests due to their burrowing habits.
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What is the lifespan of a rat?
Rats live about 2-3 years in the wild, longer in captivity.
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Are gophers protected by law?
In some areas, certain gopher species are protected due to their ecological role.
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What is a gopher's natural habitat?
Gophers live in burrows in various North and Central American habitats.
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How do rats affect urban environments?
Rats can spread diseases and cause property damage in urban areas.
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Are rats intelligent?
Yes, rats are known for their intelligence and problem-solving abilities.
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Do rats have natural predators?
Yes, rats have many predators, including cats, birds of prey, and snakes.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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