Buller's pocket gopher

Buller's pocket gopher (Pappogeomys bulleri) is a species of gopher that is endemic to Mexico.

Buller's pocket gopher

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Geomyidae
Genus: Pappogeomys
Species:
P. bulleri
Binomial name
Pappogeomys bulleri
(Thomas, 1892)
Synonyms

Geomys bulleri Thomas, 1892

Description

P. bulleri is endemic to west central Mexico.[2] The total body length for this species is typically under 270 mm, and its body mass is typically under 250 g.[3] The fur of P. bulleri can vary from a light shade of gray, to a darker shade depending on its geographic distribution [3][4][5] and the tail, often naked and white, has a length that is half the head and body of this species.[2][4][5] This pocket gopher is well adapted to burrowing, which is evident in the characteristic stocky build, fusiform shape, powerful jaws and incisors, large powerful forelimbs, and reduced hind limbs and hips often observed in this species.[3] The diet of this species includes roots of xerophytic shrubs, grasses, and forbs.[2]

Habitat

The habitat dispersal of this species varies widely, ranging from forested highlands, mountain meadows, vegetated plains, and coastal lowlands including areas near sea level to above 3,000 m in elevation.[3][4][5] P. bulleri can primarily be found in mountainous regions, inhabiting deep soils usually of volcanic origin.[2] This species can also be found in semitropical environments where tropical shrubs can be used as a food source, as well as near propagated soil used for growing crops.[2]

This species is highly successful in creating burrow systems that can be used for protection, both from environmental insults and predation, as well as for food storage and raising young.[6] Burrows typically consist of a main passage which splits into many branches. Shallow tunnels near roots and other food sources are used for foraging, whereas the deeper tunnels are used as nesting sites and food storage. The average depth of a burrow inhabited by P. bulleri is 19.9 cm, with a mean tunnel diameter of 8.9 cm.[6]

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References
  1. Castro-Arellano, I.; Vázquez, E. (2016). "Pappogeomys bulleri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  2. Russell, R.J. 1968. Revision of pocket gophers of the genus Pappogeomys. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History 16: 581–776.
  3. Hafner, M.S.; Hafner, D.J.; Demastes, J.W.; Hasty, G.L.; Light, J.E.; Spradling, T.A. (2009). "Evolutionary relationships of pocket gophers of the genus Pappogeomys (Rodentia: Geomyidae)" (PDF). Journal of Mammalogy. 90 (1): 47–56. doi:10.1644/08-MAMM-A-168.1.
  4. Hall, E.R. 1981. The mammals of North America. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York 1:1–600 1 90.
  5. Ronald M. Nowak (7 April 1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. JHU Press. pp. 1317–. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  6. Wilkins, K.T.; Roberts, H.R. (2007). "Comparative Analysis of Burrow Systems of Seven Species of Pocket Gophers (Rodentia: Geomyidae)". The Southwestern Naturalist. 52 (1): 83–88. doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2007)52[83:CAOBSO]2.0.CO;2. JSTOR 20424790.


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