Geomys tropicalis Goldman 1915
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Geomyidae
Geomys
Geomys tropicalis

description: 21.
Tropical Pocket Gopher
Geomys tropicalis
French: Gaufre tropical / German: Tamaulipas-Taschenratte / Spanish: Tuza de Tamaulipas
Taxonomy. Geomys personatus tropicalis Goldman, 1915,
“Alta Mira, Tamaulipas, Mexico.”
Molecular studies show G. tropicalis to be closely related to G. personatus. Monotypic.
Distribution. Coastal plains around Altamira and Tampico, SE Tamaulipas, Mexico.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 150-I80 mm (males) and 120-155 mm (females), tail 70-90 mm (males) and 60-85 mm (females); weight 175-250 g (males) and 130-180 g oiedess. Male Tropical Pocket Gophers are usually larger than females. It is small for genus, has a fusiform body shape typical ofall pocket gophers, and possesses fur-lined cheek pouches that open external to the mouth. Pelage is cinnamon to cinnamon-buff dorsally and lighter, occasionally white, ventrally. Feet are usually white. Anterior surface of each upper incisor has a large medial groove flanked by a smaller groove located along the inner margin of the tooth. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 38 and FN = 72.
Habitat. Well-drained sandysoils in the arid, grassy plains of southern Tamaulipas.
Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Tropical Pocket Gopher probably feeds on roots, tubers, stems, and leaves of most plants available within the vicinity of its burrow system. It readily invades cultivated fields and is considered an agricultural pest wherever it occurs in contact with humans. As in all other pocket gophers, the burrow system is a series of shallow feeding tunnels radiating spoke-like from a deeper, central network that contains one or more nest chambers and several smaller chambersfor storage of food orfecal pellets.
Breeding. There is no information available for this species.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Tropical Pocket Gopher is probably active at any hour of the day, with periods of peak activity around dawn and dusk. It does not hibernate and is active year-round.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Tropical Pocket Gopher is solitary and aggressively territorial. Individuals probably leave their burrow systems only rarely, meaning that their home range is defined by size and extent of their burrow system.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List because its range is less than 100 km?, its distribution is severely fragmented, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat. Listed as threatened in 2010 under the Mexican Endangered Species Act.
Bibliography. Alvarez-Castaneda, Castro-Arellano, Lacher & Vazquez (2008h), Baker & Williams (1974), Chambers etal. (2009), Patton (2005b), SEMARNAT(2010), Sudman et al. (2006).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Geomyidae, pp. 234-269 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 244, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6603807