Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23 — John Shaqi
Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23Setzer, Henry W.
Science
Subspeciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii: KU. Vol 1 No 23
Setzer, Henry W.
Kangaroo rats
Remarks.--This race of _Dipodomys ordii_ is readily distinguished from
_Dipodomys ordii evexus_, from the valley of the upper Arkansas River,
by larger size, larger skull and lighter color. Intergradation with
_Dipodomys ordii luteolus_ occurs rather freely in northeastern
Colorado, as indicated by specimens from 3 miles northeast of
Fitzsimmons, 6 miles east and 1 mile north of Denver and Barr Lake.
These specimens resemble _D. o. richardsoni_ in light color, greater
inflation of the auditory bullae and the shape of the pterygoid fossae
but resemble _D. o. luteolus_, to which they are here referred, in the
length of the nasals, the least interorbital width and in the external
measurements. In the southern part of the range of _D. o. richardsoni_
intergradation occurs with _Dipodomys ordii medius_, as at 6 miles
southwest of Muleshoe, Texas. Specimens from there have the long, wide
rostrum and narrow skull of _D. o. richardsoni_ but in the sum total of
their characters more closely resemble _D. o. medius_. At Texline,
Texas, the animals show intergradation in the length and shape of the
nasals and degree of convexity of the cranium but are referable to _D.
o. richardsoni_.
In fine, intergradation occurs at all points where the range of _D. o.
richardsoni_ touches that of any other geographic race. No one series of
it is as uniform as are most series of specimens of other known races.
_Dipodomys ordii richardsoni_ shows a mixture of characters.
Nevertheless, each of the populations studied has characters in most of
the animals that make this form recognizable as a taxonomic unit--a unit
that seems, as yet, not to have become stabilized even in the central
parts of its range.
Coues and Allen (1877:542) list specimens from Fort Cobb, Arkansas. It
is known that the Post Office Department, for administrative purposes,
attached certain towns and military installations in Indian Territory
(now Oklahoma) to the State of Arkansas. Thus it is apparent that Fort
Cobb, Arkansas, as recorded by Coues and Allen (_loc. cit._) is Fort
Cobb, Oklahoma. Specimens from Fort Cobb would be expected to be _D. o.
richardsoni_.
_Specimens examined._--Total, 351, distributed as follows:
=Nebraska=: _Adams County_: Bladen, 10 (AMNH). _Dundy County_:
Haigler, 1 (USBS).
=Colorado=: _Crowley County_: Olney, 1 (USBS). _Kiowa County_:
Chivington, 3 (USBS). _Otero County_: 18 mi. S La Junta, 4 (AMNH);
Higbee, 1 (USBS). _Bent County_: 4 mi. SE Las Animas, 4100 ft., 3
(MVZ). _Prowers County_: Lamar, 9 (LACM); 1 mi. S Lamar, 4000 ft.,
11 (KU). _Baca County_: Gaumes Ranch, 4600 ft., NW Corner, 1
(USBS).
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