Botta's Pocket Gopher AKA Thomomys bottae burrowing in Los Angeles

Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) is a pocket gopher native to western North America. It is also known in some areas as valley pocket gopher, particularly in California. Both the specific and common names of this species honor Paul-Émile Botta, a naturalist and archaeologist who collected mammals in California in 1827 and 1828. Botta's pocket gopher is a medium-sized gopher, with adults reaching a length of 18 to 27 cm (7.1 to 10.6 in), including a tail of 5 to 6 cm (2.0 to 2.4 in). The overall dental formula is 10131013. Males are larger, with a weight of 160-250 g (5.6-8.8 oz), compared with 120-200 g (4.2-7.1 oz) in the females. Male pocket gophers are widely believed to continue growing throughout their life. However, size variation would indicate that some males are predisposed to be larger than others, and the largest male may not be the oldest. Coloration is highly variable, and has been used to help distinguish some of the many subspecies; it may also change over the course of a year as the animals molt. Both albino and melanistic individuals have also been reported. However, Botta's gopher generally lacks the black stripe down the middle of the back found in the closely related southern pocket gopher, a feature that may be used to tell the two species apart where they live in the same area. Botta's pocket gopher is strictly herbivorous, feeding on a variety of plant matter. Shoots and grasses are particularly important, supplemented by roots, tubers, and bulbs during the winter. An individual often pulls plants into the ground by the roots to consume them in the safety of its burrow, where it spends 90% of its life.
The metabolic rate, consumption rate and amount of energy assimilated for non-reproductive adult gophers is consistent through winter, spring, summer and fall. The average adult Botta's pocket gopher has a body temperature of 36 °C (97 °F). Burrowing can be extremely energetically demanding requiring between 360 and 3,400 times as much energy as moving across the surface, depending on soil density. Due to the high cost of burrowing, Botta's pocket gopher is good at conserving energy by having a low basal metabolic rate and thermal conductance.
The main predators of this species include American badgers, coyotes, long-tailed weasels, and snakes, but other predators include skunks, owls, bobcats, and hawks. This species is considered a pest in urban and agricultural areas due to its burrowing habit and its predilection for alfalfa; however, it is also considered beneficial as its burrows are a key source of aeration for soils in the region.
Digging by Botta's pocket gophers is estimated to aerate the soil to a depth of about 20 cm (7.9 in), and to be responsible for the creation of Mima mounds up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) in height. Populations of the species have been estimated to mine as much as 28 t (28 long tons; 31 short tons) of soil per hectare per year, much of which is moved below ground, rather than being pushed up into the mounds. The species also has been associated with the deaths of aspen in Arizona and creates patches of bare ground that may limit the establishment of new seedlings.

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Thank you for the information!