The Michoacan pocket gopher (''Zygogeomys trichopus'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Zygogeomys''. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitat is temperate, high-altitude forests. Its numbers are declining and it is listed by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

as " endangered".

Description

The Michoacan pocket gopher is a small animal with short, dense, black, lustrous fur and a hairless tail. The eyes are small and deep-set and there is a pad-like region of bare skin just behind the nostrils. It is docile when caught, making no attempt to bite as do other pocket gophers.

Distribution and habitat

The Michoacan pocket gopher is endemic to the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt mountain range in central southern Mexico, where it occurs in four discrete locations near west of Lake Pátzcuaro at altitudes over . The fossil record shows that members of the genus '' Zygogeomys'', including two other now extinct species, were widespread in the late Pliocene epoch in the southwestern United States. Its typical habitat is mixed forests of

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal (taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfami ...

, pine, and alder with deep friable soil suitable for burrowing. A number of small populations separated by unsuitable terrain exist. The species shows little

genetic variation Genetic variation is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations. The multiple sources of genetic variation include mutation and genetic recombination. Mutations are the ultimate sources of genetic variation, ...

and the present population may be a relict of a previous, more widespread distribution.

Natural history

The Michoacan pocket gopher lives in a burrow and throws up a characteristic, cone-shaped mound of soil on the surface with no visible entrance. A central chamber has been found underground and may be where the young are raised. Little is known of the animal's breeding habits, which may be seasonal, as males caught in March and August had small testes while one caught in December had large ones. A pregnant female containing one

embryo An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male spe ...

has been caught in December. This animal is seldom caught in surface traps and it may live and forage almost entirely underground. In its natural habitat of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo (; Purépecha: ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Michoacán de Ocampo), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of ...

, the pocket gopher has been reported to cause damage to avocado trees and mutilate young trees in reforestation projects, as well as wreak structural damage on roads, building sites, and irrigation canals.

Status

The habitat requirements of the Michoacan pocket gopher are very specific, and where agriculture replaces the native woodland in which it lives, it is restricted to higher altitudes and tends to be replaced by other species of pocket gopher ('' Pappogeomys''). Its total area of occurrence is less than , its range is fragmented, and its population is declining, and the

has listed it as " endangered".

References

{{Taxonbar, from1=Q10838669, from2=Q973229

Michoacan Pocket Gopher The Michoacan pocket gopher (''Zygogeomys trichopus'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Zygogeomys''. It is endemic to Mexico where its natural habitat is temperate, high-altitude forests. Its nu ...

Endemic mammals of Mexico Natural history of Michoacán Rodents of North America Fauna of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Endangered animals Endangered biota of Mexico Endangered fauna of North America Mammals described in 1895 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot