Geomys bursarius
| Plains Pocket Gopher
(Geomys bursarius) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Castorimorphi |
| Superfamily: | Geomyoidea |
| Family: | Geomyidae |
| Subfamily: | Geomyinae |
| Tribe: | Geomyini |
| Genus: | Geomys |
| Subgenus: | Geomys (subgenus) |
| Binomial details | |
| Geomys bursarius (G. K. Shaw, 1800) | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) inhabits a broad range of habitat types where the sand and loam content of the soil is suitable for its fossorial way of life. It can be very difficult to distinguish from other pocket gophers. Individuals found above ground are often dispersing individuals.
Description
From Connior (2011): "Pelage varies from buff, reddish brown, liver brown, or chestnut to black (Hoffmeister 1989; Jones et al. 1985; Merriam 1895). Some individuals have a pelage containing white patches or exhibiting albinism (Hazard 1982)... Dorsum pelage color tends to be related to moist soil color (Krupa and Geluso 2000)."
Subspecies
Museum specimens
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Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. -
Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. -
TTRS00861M. Geomys bursarius. Male. Willow Slough, Newton County, Indiana. Collected 28 April 1973.
External measurements
Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.
| Part of range | Reference | Total length | Tail length | Hindfoot length | Ear length | Mass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Armstrong et al. (2010) | 180–300 | 50–90 | 30–36 | 3–5 | 170–330 |
| Minnesota | Hazard (1982) | 239–300 | 54–75 | 31–38 | 5–9 | 190.8–429.7 |
| North Dakota | Seabloom et al. (2020) | 260 | 66 | 33 | 7 | 300 |
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 236 | 65 | 31 | males: 180–200; females: 120–160 |
Color variation
This section shows some of the color variation present in Geomys bursarius. The location is provided for reference only. The individual shown does not necessarily represent the only color variant within the local population.
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Geomys bursarius photographed by Russell Pfau in Bartonville, Texas. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by csledge in Bloomington, Minnesota. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by leeemma-animals in Keene, Texas. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by Ryan Philbrick in Wichita, Kansas. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by safechrislaurie near Wyoming City, Minnesota. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by Patrick Vant in Glyndon, Minnesota. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by Russell Pfau in Keller, Texas. -
Geomys bursarius photographed by Yinan Li in Reno County, Kansas.
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 243055. Geomys bursarius wisconsinensis. Adult female. Lone Rock, Richland County, Wisconsin. Collected 13 September 1922. Lateral view of the left mandible.
Similar species
Comparison with Geomys knoxjonesi
Populations of the Jones's Pocket Gopher (Geomys knoxjonesi) are in contact with populations of Geomys bursarius in western Texas and eastern New Mexico. From Baker and Genoways (1975): Individuals of Geomys knoxjonesi are significantly smaller in size than those of Geomys bursarius major (subspecies of Geomys bursarius in western Texas and eastern New Mexico) in several cranial measurements. Geomys knoxjonesi averages smaller than G. b. major in most other characteristics and has a proportionally longer tail. In coloration, knoxjonesi is noticeably paler than major, being a buffy brown rather than a darker (more chocolate) brown on the upper parts.
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Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) photographed by Yinan Li in Reno County, Kansas. -
Jones's Pocket Gopher (Geomys knoxjonesi) photographed by Robert Dowler in Gaines County, Texas.
Comparison with Thomomys talpoides
The pelage of Geomys bursarius and the Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides) vary geographically, but it differs from G. bursarius in having postauricular patches (area behind the ear) that are blackish or grayish black (Verts and Carraway, 1999).
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Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius) photographed by Yinan Li in Reno County, Kansas. -
Northern Pocket Gopher (Thomomys talpoides) photographed by ML Watson in Conejos County, Colorado.
References
Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.
Chambers RR, Sudman PD, Bradley RD. 2009. A phylogenetic assessment of pocket gophers (Geomys): evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Journal of Mammalogy 90(3): 537-547.
Connior, MB. 2011. Geomys bursarius (rodentia: Geomyidae). Mammalian Species 43(879): 104-117. https://doi.org/10.1644/879.1
Hazard EB. 1982. The mammals of Minnesota. Minneapolis (MN, USA): University of Minnesota Press.
Hoffmeister DF. 1989. Mammals of Illinois. Chicago (IL, USA): University of Illinois Press.
Jones JK, Armstrong Jr DM, Choate JR. 1985. Guide to the mammals of the plains states. Lincoln (NE, USA): University of Nebraska Press.
Krupa JJ, Geluso KN. 2000. Matching the color of excavated soil: cryptic coloration in the plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius). Journal of Mammalogy 81: 86-96.
Merriam CH. 1895. Monographic revision of the pocket gophers, family Geomyidae (exclusive of the species of Thomomys). NorthAmerican Fauna 8:1-258.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.
Seabloom R, Hoganson JW, Jensen WF. 2020. The mammals of North Dakota. Fargo (ND, USA): North Dakota State University Press.
Shaw GK. 1800-02-22. Descriptions of the Mus Bursarius and Tubularia Magnifica; from Drawings communicated by Major-General Thomas Davies, F.R.S. & L.S. Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 5:227-229.
Verts BJ, Carraway LN. 1999. Thomomys talpoides. Mammalian Species (618):1-11. https://doi.org/10.2307/3504451