The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah: University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, Vol. 1 No. 1Durrant, Stephen David
Science
The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah: University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, Vol. 1 No. 1
Durrant, Stephen David
Pocket gophers -- Utah
Gophers from Salt Lake City and environs (east of the river) vary in
color from almost black to dark cinnamon. Specimens from Draper, which
locality is likewise east of the river, are uniformly lighter, but also
vary in color. The skulls of animals from both localities are
indistinguishable from each other and closely resemble those of
topotypes. Specimens from the west side of the river, from Riverton,
two miles west of Murray and Rose Canyon, Oquirrh Mountains, all are
lighter in color than topotypes. The color varies from darkest at the
north at Murray to lightest at the south at Riverton. This is exactly
the reverse of what would be expected since Riverton is the locality
geographically nearest to the type locality, Provo. The skulls are
quite uniform and are all referable to _albicaudatus_. The Jordan River
may be one factor which causes this lack of uniformity between the
animals from the two sides of the river. Davis (1939:56-57) states that
rivers are not barriers to movement of pocket gophers where the river
completely freezes over and has the ice covered with thick snow.
Although the Jordan River does occasionally freeze over, it is never
frozen for more than a few days at a time, and snow in this area does
not last for long periods. The material at hand indicates that the
gophers from both sides of the river are referable to the same
subspecies _albicaudatus_. The animals from the east side of the river
are in the aggregate of characters the most typical of _albicaudatus_
of any in the entire range. Those from the west side of the river,
although definitely referable to _albicaudatus_ do show some
intergradation with _Thomomys bottae robustus_, the subspecies to the
west.
The specimens from Bauer, Tooele County, are relatively uniform in
color, and are considerably lighter than topotypes of _albicaudatus_.
Their upper parts vary from Sepia to Saccardo's Umber as compared with
near (13''''_n_) Black of the topotypes. The sides and underparts are
lighter, due primarily to much less black in the underfur. They average
slightly longer in total length, but shorter in hind foot. All cranial
measurements are slightly smaller than in topotypes of _albicaudatus_.
The shape of the skull closely resembles that of _albicaudatus_,
although the rostrum, nasals, upper incisors and posterior tongues of
the premaxillae tend to be narrower. This narrowness indicates
intergradation with _Thomomys bottae stansburyi_, the race nearest to
the west. These animals are in the majority of characters referable to
_albicaudatus_.
Bauer is situated in extreme western Tooele Valley at the foot of
Stockton Bar, a low pass between the Stansbury and the Oquirrh
mountains. This valley lies to the west of the aforementioned Jordan
River. Although these gophers are definitely referable to
_albicaudatus_ they are more unlike topotypes than are the animals from
Riverton.
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