A Mazama pocket gopher, a burrowing rodent native to the Northwest, shows off his bite — and a distinctive anatomical trick — at Wolf Haven International Sanctuary in Washington. Mazama pocket gophers can close their throats behind their front teeth, so they don’t swallow dirt and debris when they dig or hold plant parts in their fur-lined cheek pouches. Photo by Kim Flotlin/USFWS. From the US Fish & Wildlife website.
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