Buller's pocket gopher (''Pappogeomys bulleri'') is a species of

gopher Pocket gophers, commonly referred to simply as gophers, are burrowing rodents of the family Geomyidae. The roughly 41 speciesSearch results for "Geomyidae" on thASM Mammal Diversity Database are all endemic to North and Central America. They are ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It is

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

within the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Pappogeomys''. It includes the Alcorn's pocket gopher (''P. b. alcorni'') as a subspecies. Previously, this subspecies was considered a separate species.

Description

''Pappogeomys bulleri'' is endemic to west central Mexico.Russell, R.J. 1968. Revision of pocket gophers of the genus ''Pappogeomys''. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History 16: 581–776. The total body length for this species is typically under 270 mm, and its body mass is typically under 250 g. The fur of ''P. bulleri'' can vary from a light shade of gray, to a darker shade depending on its geographic distribution Hall, E.R. 1981. The mammals of North America. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York 1:1–600 1 90. and the tail, often naked and white, has a length that is half the head and body of this species. This pocket gopher is well adapted to burrowing, which is evident in the characteristic stocky build, fusiform shape, powerful jaws and incisors, large powerful forelimbs, and reduced hind limbs and hips often observed in this species. The diet of this species includes roots of xerophytic shrubs, grasses, and forbs.

Habitat

The habitat dispersal of this species varies widely, ranging from forested highlands, mountain meadows, vegetated plains, and coastal lowlands including areas near sea level to above 3,000 m in elevation. ''P. bulleri'' can primarily be found in mountainous regions, inhabiting deep soils usually of volcanic origin. This species can also be found in semitropical environments where tropical shrubs can be used as a food source, as well as near propagated soil used for growing crops. This species is highly successful in creating burrow systems that can be used for protection, both from environmental insults and predation, as well as for food storage and raising young. Burrows typically consist of a main passage which splits into many branches. Shallow tunnels near roots and other food sources are used for foraging, whereas the deeper tunnels are used as nesting sites and food storage. The average depth of a burrow inhabited by ''P. bulleri'' is 19.9 cm, with a mean tunnel diameter of 8.9 cm.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1767693 Pappogeomys Endemic mammals of Mexico Endangered biota of Mexico Mammals described in 1892 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot