The variable pocket gopher (''Heterogeomys heterodus'') is a species of
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
in the family
Geomyidae.
It 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 else ...
to
Costa Rica, usually being found in
grasslands and
tropical forests
Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds.
Some tropical fores ...
at higher altitudes, up to 8,000 feet. It is threatened by
habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
, but are sometimes kept as pets in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and elsewhere.
The gopher typically has soft and dense fur colored blackish on the posterior and pale on the anterior. Its
dentition features a longitudinal groove on outer face of each upper
incisor
Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, wher ...
. Large specimens range in length from 12 to 19 inches in length and weigh 16 to 35 ounces.
Some authors classify it in the genus ''
Orthogeomys
The giant pocket gopher (''Orthogeomys grandis'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. It is the type species of the genus ''Orthogeomys''; some zoologists also include in ...
'', but recent research has allowed this and its related species to be classified in the genus ''
Heterogeomys
''Heterogeomys'' is a genus of rodent in the family Geomyidae, found in Mexico, Central America and Colombia. ''Heterogeomys'' are a small genus of rodents commonly known as pocket gophers, though the term applies to all genera within the fami ...
''.
References
Heterogeomys
Endemic fauna of Costa Rica
Gopher, Variable pocket
Gopher, Variable pocket
Mammals described in 1865
Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters
Least concern biota of North America
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Geomyidae-stub