HALL'S POCKET GOPHER
Geomys jugossicularis Hooper 1940

Order Rodentia : Family Geomyidae

DESCRIPTION. Formerly considered a subspecies of G. bursarius (see "Remarks"). Morphologically identical to G. bursarius, from which it is distinguishable only through genetic diagnostics. The dental formula is I 1/1, C 0/0, Pm 1/1, M 3/3 × 2 = 20. External measurements and weights are similar to G. bursarius.

DISTRIBUTION. Restricted to Dallam and Hartley counties in the Panhandle.

SUBSPECIES. Geomys j. jugossicularis.

HABITS. The habits and natural history of this pocket gopher are presumably the same as in G. bursarius.

POPULATION STATUS. Uncommon. Similar to the desert pocket gopher (G. arenarius), Hall's pocket gopher may be locally abundant, but given the restricted distribution, it is not overly abundant in the state.

CONSERVATION STATUS. The IUCN recognizes Hall's pocket gopher as a subspecies of the plains pocket gopher (G. bursarius); therefore, it is listed as a species of least concern, and it does not appear on the federal or state lists of concerned species. This gopher is probably rare in the northern Panhandle of Texas. Little is known concerning its status.

REMARKS. This taxon recently was elevated to species status by Hugh Genoways (University of Nebraska), RDB, and others. This species is distributed northward in Colorado and Kansas; however, genetic studies are needed to determine if the Texas populations belong to G. bursarius or to G. jugossicularis.

 

From The Mammals of Texas, Seventh Edition by David J. Schmidly and Robert D. Bradley, copyright © 1994, 2004, 2016.  Courtesy of the University of Texas Press.