17.

Jones's Pocket Gopher

Geomys knoxjonesi

French: Gaufre de Jones / German: Jones-Taschenratte / Spanish: Tuza de Jones

Other common names: Knox Jones's Pocket Gopher

Taxonomy. Geomys bursarius knoxjonesi Baker & Genoways, 1975,

“4.1 mi. N, 5.1 mi. E Kermit, Winkler Co., Texas,” USA.

Molecular studies suggest that G. knoxjonesi is sister to G. arenarius. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE New Mexico and adjacent parts of W Texas, USA.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 120-190 mm (males) and 115-175 mm (females), tail 75-105 mm (males) and 55-95 mm (females); weight 160-185 g. Male Jones’s Pocket Gophers are usually larger than females. It is small for the genus. It has a fusiform body shape typical of all pocket gophers, and it possesses furlined cheek pouches that open external to the mouth. Pelage is pale buff dorsally and lighter ventrally. Anterior surface of each upper incisor has a large medial groove flanked by a smaller groove located along the inner margin of the tooth. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 70 and FN = 68-70.

Habitat. Restricted to deep, sandy soils in xeric, scrubland habitats.

Food and Feeding. Jones’s Pocket Gopher feeds on roots, tubers, stems, and leaves of most plants available within the vicinity of its burrow system, including yucca (Yucca, Asparagaceae), sunflowers (Helianthus sp., Asteraceae), and a variety of grass species. It readily invades cultivated fields and is considered an agricultural pest wherever it occurs in contact with humans. As in all other pocket gophers, the burrow system is a series of shallow feeding tunnels radiating spoke-like from a deeper, central network that contains one or more nest chambers and several smaller chambers for storage of food or fecal pellets.

Breeding. Jones's Pocket Gopher breeds from late October to early April. Gestation is c.23 days.

Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, butJones's Pocket Gopher is probably active at any hour of the day, with periods of peak activity around dawn and dusk. It does not hibernate and is active year-round.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but Jones’s Pocket Gopheris likely solitary and aggressively territorial. Individuals probably leave their burrow systems only rarely, meaning that their home range is defined by size and extent of their burrow system.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bradley & Baker (1999), Chambers et al. (2009), Hopton & Cameron (2001), Jolley et al. (2000), Linzey & NatureServe (Hammerson & Cannings) (2008), Patton (2005b).