| Idaho pocket gopher | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Geomyidae |
| Genus: | Thomomys |
| Species: | T. idahoensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Thomomys idahoensis Merriam, 1901 | |
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| Range of the Idaho pocket gopher in theUnited States | |
TheIdaho pocket gopher (Thomomys idahoensis) is a species ofrodent in the familyGeomyidae. It is rather small, with a lightly built skull. Its fur color varies through the body and between individuals. Found in the westernUnited States, it inhabitssavannas,shrubland, andgrasslands. Individuals live alone in burrows, staying active year-round. Many aspects of its behavior and biology are not well understood. The species is classified as being ofleast-concern by theInternational Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Thomomys idahoensis was first described byClinton Hart Merriam in 1901. Thetype locality was given asBirch Creek,Idaho, and the type specimen was a male collected in 1890.[2] It has no recent synonyms, although its two of its subspecies (T. i. idahoensis andT. i. pygmaeus) were once consideredsubspecies ofThomomys talpoides, the northern pocket gopher.[3][4] It belongs to thegenusThomomys, which is distributed throughout westernNorth America. This genus is part of the familyGeomyidae.[5]
Threesubspecies are recognized:
The size, weight, and hindfoot length of the Idaho pocket gopher are variable, although typically no more than 150 millimetres (5.9 in), 90 grams (3.2 oz), and 26 millimetres (1.0 in) for each, respectively. The color of the back ranges from yellowish brown with dark brown tipped hair to grayish brown or fully dark brown, fairly uniform overall. Most are dark gray around the nose. The ventral area is light gray and usually mixed with yellow and yellow-brown. The feet are whitish in appearance, with tail color varying between specimens.[4] It is paler in winter than summer.[8]
The gopher's skull is small and lightly built, with incisors that are slender and notprocumbent (inclined towards the lips). Itsbaculum (a bone present in the penis of many mammals) is rather long, from 17.8 to 23.4 millimetres (0.70 to 0.92 in), and thebullae (bony structures in the back of the skull) are large. It has either 56 or 58chromosomes (the difference is due toRobertsonian translocation, a condition where a chromosome becomes attached to another).[4] The ears are small.[8]
The Idaho pocket gopher is found in the westernUnited States, from central Idaho to the southern and western parts of Montana. A separate population exists in southwesternWyoming, southeastern Idaho, and northeasternUtah.[1][3] It resides insavanna,shrubland, andgrassland habitats.[1]
Individuals live in burrows, with each gopher creating and living in its own burrow. They remain active for the entire year, and store excavated soil in their burrows, which stays after the snow has melted.[3] It issympatric in certain areas with the northern pocket gopher, which it does not interbreed with. The former species prefers shallower, rockier soils, while the latter prefers deeper soil with fewer rocks.[3][4]
It is not known what the Idaho pocket gopher eats, although related species consume parts of plants from vegetation below and above ground level, mainlyforbs andgrasses.[3]
Little is known about the life history of this species, with no known data on breeding season and litter size. It most likely breeds in spring after the snow has melted.[3] It is likely similar to the northern pocket gopher with regards to breeding behavior: the latter speciesgestates for 19 to 20 days and bears between four and seven offspring.[1] Its lifespan is also unknown, although pocket gophers usually live for less than two years.[3]
There is no known existence of this species in protective areas or captivity. It is protected by the US state of Montana. TheIUCN has evaluated it as being ofleast-concern, as no major threats are present, it has a large range, and its population is not declining fast enough to warrant a more threatened listing (although the population trend is unknown).[1] It is listed in theUtah Wildlife Action Plan as a species greatly needing conservation.[6]
