The Pocket Gophers (Genus Thomomys) of Utah: University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History, Vol. 1 No. 1Durrant, Stephen David
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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
_Diagnosis._--Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts and
sides Cinnamon Buff, finely mixed with black along median line of back;
underparts Pinkish Buff; nose, cheeks and chin grayish black;
postauricular patches fairly large and grayish black; front and hind
feet white (examples from type series badly stained); tail light buff
but apparently white distally (the color of these specimens has
apparently changed with age). Skull: Small, fairly robust; basilar
length short; zygomatic arches weak, but widely spreading; tympanic
bullae small; nasals short and simple distally; ventral margin of
jugals convex dorsally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals
relatively as well as actually long; posterior tongues of premaxillae
relatively wide.
_Comparisons._--Topotypes of _levidensis_ differ from those of
_Thomomys bottae absonus_ as follows: Size smaller. Color: Lighter
throughout. Skull: Shorter, weaker and less ridged and angular, but
relatively wider.
Compared with topotypes of _Thomomys bottae albicaudatus_, _levidensis_
differs as follows: Size smaller in every measurement taken. Color:
Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken;
width relatively greater; skull smooth, weak and nonangular as opposed
to ridged, robust and angular.
For comparisons with _Thomomys bottae lenis_ and _contractus_ see
accounts of those forms.
_Remarks._--The range here ascribed to _levidensis_ is the San Pitch
River Valley, which gradually merges southward into the Sevier River
Valley. The latter valley in this area is inhabited by pocket gophers
that belong to another subspecies, _lenis_. Nephi Valley to the west of
San Pitch River Valley is inhabited by animals belonging to the
subspecies _albicaudatus_. No known specimens show intergradation
between _lenis_ and _levidensis_, but intergradation between _lenis_
and _albicaudatus_ is noted in the Nephi Valley animals (see account of
_albicaudatus_). Superficially _levidensis_ resembles _absonus_ in size
and color, but the skulls closely resemble those of _albicaudatus_,
except for size in which they are smaller in all measurements. _T. b.
albicaudatus_ is the most variable subspecies of _T. bottae_ occurring
in Utah, and additional material from the Sevier River Valley between
San Pitch River Valley and Nephi Valley may show _levidensis_ to be
only a local variant of the highly variable subspecies, _albicaudatus_.
_Specimens examined._--Total, 6, from the type locality.
=Thomomys bottae osgoodi= Goldman
_Thomomys perpallidus osgoodi_ Goldman, Journ. Washington
Acad. Sci., 21:424, October 19, 1931.
_Thomomys bottae osgoodi_ Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc.
Washington, 48:156; October 31, 1935.
_Thomomys perpallidus aureus_ Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75,
November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15):85,
April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927.
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