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
Topotypes of _wasatchensis_ can be distinguished from those of
_Thomomys talpoides oquirrhensis_ as follows: Size larger; tail longer;
ears longer. Color: Slightly darker on sides and underparts. Skull:
Heavier, more ridged and angular; nasals more dilated distally;
posterior ends of nasals more deeply emarginate; zygomatic arches
heavier and more widely spreading, but more nearly parallel and less
divergent posteriorly; zygomatic processes of maxillae much heavier;
braincase and tympanic bullae larger; pterygoid hamulae shorter;
interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; wider across occipital
condyles; foramen magnum larger and more ovoid.
From topotypes of _Thomomys talpoides gracilis_, _wasatchensis_ differs
as follows: Size larger; hind foot longer; ears longer and more
pointed. Color: Darker throughout; postauricular patches relatively
smaller. Skull: Larger, heavier and more angular; nasals emarginate
posteriorly as opposed to truncate; rostrum heavier; zygomatic arches
heavier and more widely spreading; zygomatic processes of maxillae much
heavier and more angular; mastoid breadth greater; interparietal
relatively smaller; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals
actually as well as relatively less; palatal pits deeper; tympanic
bullae larger; interpterygoid space more narrowly V-shaped; foramen
magnum more ovoid; upper incisors wider.
Topotypes of _wasatchensis_ can be readily distinguished from those of
_Thomomys talpoides levis_ and _parowanensis_ by larger size; more
massive, ridged, angular skulls; larger tympanic bullae; large, ovoid
foramen magnum; and relatively smaller interparietal.
_Remarks._--Specimens from Mount Timpanogos and environs are
intergrades between _moorei_ and _wasatchensis_. They resemble _moorei_
in the shape and size of the tympanic bullae, and are intermediate in
the size and shape of the foramen magnum. In the majority of characters
they resemble _wasatchensis_ to which they are here referred. The
animals from east of Salt Lake City in Salt Lake County are intergrades
between _oquirrhensis_ and _wasatchensis_ and show some characters of
_uinta_, but are referable to _wasatchensis_. Animals from Morgan
County and western Summit County are intergrades between _wasatchensis_
and _uinta_. They resemble _uinta_ in size, shape of nasals and size of
tympanic bullae. The remainder of the cranial details place them with
_wasatchensis_. Morphologically the animals from Wellsville, Cache
County, were the closest to the topotypes of any obtained and are
nearly indistinguishable from them. Like the topotypes of
_wasatchensis_ this population inhabits a high valley. The remaining
specimens from Cache County resemble those from Morgan and Summit
counties.
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