Variable pocket gopher

{{Short description|Species of rodent}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Variable pocket gopher

| image =

| status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Emmons, L. |date=2016 |title=Orthogeomys heterodus |volume=2016 |page=e.T15548A22215071 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T15548A22215071.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}

| genus = Heterogeomys

| species = heterodus

| authority = (Peters, 1865)

| synonyms =

• Orthogeomys heterodus

}}

The variable pocket gopher (Heterogeomys heterodus) is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae.{{BioRef|asm|id=1001870 |title=Heterogeomys heterodus |version=1.7 |access-date=22 November 2021}} It is endemic to Costa Rica, usually being found in grasslands and tropical forests at higher altitudes, up to 8,000 feet. It is threatened by habitat loss, but are sometimes kept as pets in the United States and elsewhere.

The gopher typically has soft and dense fur colored blackish on the posterior and pale on the anterior. Its dentition features a longitudinal groove on outer face of each upper incisor. Large specimens range in length from 12 to 19 inches in length and weigh 16 to 35 ounces.

Some authors classify it in the genus Orthogeomys, but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus Heterogeomys.{{Cite journal|last=Spradling|first=T. A.|last2=Demastes|first2=J. W.|last3=Hafner|first3=D. J.|last4=Milbach|first4=P. L.|last5=Cervantes|first5=F. A.|last6=Hafner|first6=M. S.|date=2016|title=Systematic revision of the pocket gopher genus|url=https://academic.oup.com/jmammal/article/97/2/405/2459565|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=97|issue=2|pages=405–423|doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyv185|doi-access=free}}