Pocket gophers have often been found to carry external parasites including, most commonly, lice, but also ticks, fleas, and mites.

[10] All pocket gophers create a network of tunnel systems that provide protection and a means of collecting food.

At the same time, the soil disturbance created by turning it over can lead to the early establishment of ecological succession in communities of r-selected and other ruderal plant species.

The stashing and subsequent decomposition of plant material in the gophers' larder can produce deep fertilization of the soil.

Pocket gophers are solitary outside of the breeding season, aggressively maintaining territories that vary in size depending on the resources available.

Males and females may share some burrows and nesting chambers if their territories border each other, but in general, each pocket gopher inhabits its own individual tunnel system.

Although they attempt to flee when threatened, they may attack other animals, including cats and humans, and can inflict serious bites with their long, sharp teeth.

[14] Much debate exists among taxonomists about which races of pocket gophers should be recognized as full species, and the following list cannot be regarded as definitive.