掘鼠

From 掘(ほり) (hori, “to dig”) + 鼠(ねずみ) (nezumi, “rat/mouse”).

掘(ほり)鼠(ねずみ) or 掘鼠(ホリネズミ) • (hori nezumi) 

1. gopher (Geomyidae)

• As with many terms that name organisms, this term is often spelled in katakana, especially in biological contexts (where katakana is customary), as ホリネズミ (horinezumi).