Perote pocket gopher

The Perote pocket gopher[3] (Cratogeomys perotensis), or Cofre de Perote pocket gopher,[4] is a species of pocket gopher in the family Geomyidae.

Not to be confused with the Perote mouse (Peromyscus bullatus) or the Perote ground squirrel (Xerospermosphilus perotensis), both also of Mexico.

Cofre de Perote pocket gopher

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Geomyidae
Genus: Cratogeomys
Species:
C. perotensis
Binomial name
Cratogeomys perotensis

Range

Endemic to Mexico, it is found in the mountains from southern Hildalgo south through Puebla and Veracruz to the volcanic edifices of Cofre de Perote and Pico de Orizaba,[1] the former being the type locality.[2]

Description

This rodent is light to dark brown in color and weighs 400 to 650 g, with males being slightly larger. There are usually small white areas near the base of the tail.[5] Its karyotype has 2n = 38 and FN = 72.[4]

Habitat

It inhabits Zacatonal grassland and temperate pine-oak woodlands at elevations from 2400 to 4000 m.[1]

Taxonomic history

Initially described as a species in 1895,[2] C. perotensis was demoted to a subspecies of C. merriami in 1968.[6][7] In 2005 it was split off again when found to be distinct in molecular, chromosomal and morphological characters.[4] It subsumes the previously proposed taxa C. estor (Merriam, 1895), C. merriami irolonis (Nelson and Goldman, 1934), C. irolonis (Davis, 1944), and C. merriami peraltus (Goldman, 1937), and is part of the C. castanops species group.[4]

Conservation status

Although it occupies an area of less than 20,000 km2, C. perotensis is thought to be common and is not considered threatened.[1]

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References
  1. Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T.; Castro-Arellano, I.; Lacher, T.; Vázquez, E. (2017). "Cratogeomys perotensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T136396A22217166. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T136396A22217166.en. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  2. Merriam, C. H. (1895). Monographic Revision of the Pocket Gophers: Family Geomyidæ (exclusive of the Species of Thomomys). U.S. Government Printing Office. perotensis.
  3. Zoological Series. Field Museum of Natural History. 1904. p. 839.
  4. Hafner, M. S.; Light, J. E.; Hafner, D. J.; Brant, S. V.; Spradling, T. A.; Demastes, J. W. (2005). "Cryptic Species in the Mexican Pocket Gopher Cratogeomys merriami". Journal of Mammalogy. 86 (6): 1095–1108. doi:10.1644/05-MAMM-A-064R1.1.
  5. Ceballos, Gerardo (26 September 2013). Mammals of Mexico. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-0879-8. OCLC 900027107.
  6. Russell, R. J. (1968). "Revision of pocket gophers of the genus Pappogeomys". University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History. 16: 581–776. Retrieved 2018-03-03.
  7. Patton, J.L. (2005). "Family Geomyidae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 861. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
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