Geomys pinetis
| Southeastern Pocket Gopher
(Geomys pinetis) | |
|---|---|
| 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 pinetis Rafinesque, 1817 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
Description
From Pembleton & Williams (1978): "Exemplifying the genus, G. pinetis is a medium-sized rodent with the typical geomyid adaptations for a fossorial way of life: small eyes; reduced pinnae; stout, strong-clawed forelimbs; nearly naked tail; external, fur-lined cheek pouches; and thickset body."
Museum specimens
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TTRS00387M. Geomys pinetis. Folkston, Charlton County, Georgia. Collected 24 October 1969. -
TTRS00228M. Geomys pinetis. 1 mi. W. Ochlochnee River, Gadsen County, Florida. Collected 2 February 1967.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Best & Dusi (2014) | 220 (182–261) (n=6) | 72 (54–86) (n=6) | 28 (19–31) (n=6) | 4 (3–6) (n=4) | 159.4 (104.8–233.4) (n=4) |
Skull
Taxonomic notes
Geomys pinetis mobilensis was elevated to species status by Duncan et al. (2024): "In agreement with previous genetic work (Avise et al. 1979; Sudman et al. 2006; Chambers et al. 2009; Soto-Centeno et al. 2013), our results provide strong evidence that southeastern pocket gophers consist of two distinct lineages that have been reproductively isolated for an extended period (i.e., likely since the Pleistocene) and may have undergone some degree of adaptive divergence."
Similar species
The Alabama Pocket Gopher (Geomys mobilensis) is morphologically indistinguishable from Geomys pinetis, from which it was recently split.
References
Avise JC, Giblin-Davidson C, Laerm J, Patton JC, Lansman RA. 1979. Mitochondrial DNA clones and matriarchal phylogeny within and among geographic populations of the pocket gopher, Geomys pinetis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 76:6694–6698. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.76.12.6694
Best TL, Dusi JL. 2014. Mammals of Alabama (Vol. 4). Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
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.
Pembleton EF, Williams SL. 1978. Geomys pinetis. Mammalian Species (86):1-3.
Rafinesque CS. 1817. Descriptions of seven new genera of North American quadrupeds. American Monthly Magazine and Critical Review 2(1):44-46.
Duncan SI, McCleery RA, Carneiro CM, Pynne JT, Parsons EI, Conner LM, Castleberry SB, Gitzen RA, Austin JD. 2024. Genetic support for discrete conservation units of the fossorial rodent Geomys pinetis. Conservation Genetics 25(5):1087-1101.
Soto-Centeno JA, Barrow LN, Allen JM, Reed DL. 2013. Reevaluation of a classic phylogeographic barrier: new techniques reveal the infuence of microgeographic climate variation on population divergence. Ecology and Evolution 3:1603–1613. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3. 576
Sudman PD, Wicklife JK, Horner P, Smolen MJ, Bickham JW, Bradley RD. 2006. Molecular systematics of pocket gophers of the genus Geomys. Journal of Mammalogy 87:668–676. https://doi.org/10.1644/05-MAMM-A-349R2.1