The Perote pocket gopher (''Cratogeomys perotensis''), or Cofre de Perote pocket gopher, is a species of pocket gopher in the family Geomyidae.

Range

Endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only 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 foun ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

, it is found in the mountains from southern Hildalgo south through

Puebla Puebla, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Puebla, is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 217 municipalities and its capital is Puebla City. Part of east-centr ...

and

Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entit ...

to the volcanic edifices of

Cofre de Perote Cofre de Perote, also known by its Nahuatl names Naupa-Tecutépetl (from ''Nāuhpa-Tēuctēpetl'') and Nauhcampatépetl, both meaning something like "Place of Four Mountains" or "Mountain of the Lord of Four Places", is an inactive volcano locate ...

and

Pico de Orizaba Citlaltépetl (from Nahuan languages, Náhuatl = star, and = mountain), otherwise known as Pico de Orizaba, is an active volcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and Table of the highest major summits of North America, third highest in North Ame ...

, the former being the type locality.

Description

This rodent is light to dark brown in color and weighs 400 to 650 g, with males being slightly larger. There are usually small white areas near the base of the tail. Its

karyotype A karyotype is the general appearance of the complete set of chromosomes in the cells of a species or in an individual organism, mainly including their sizes, numbers, and shapes. Karyotyping is the process by which a karyotype is discerned by de ...

has 2n = 38 and FN = 72.

Habitat

It inhabits Zacatonal grassland and temperate pine-oak woodlands at elevations from 2400 to 4000 m.

Taxonomic history

Initially described as a species in 1895, ''C. perotensis'' was demoted to a subspecies of '' C. merriami'' in 1968. In 2005 it was split off again when found to be distinct in molecular, chromosomal and morphological characters. It subsumes the previously proposed taxa ''C. estor'' (Merriam, 1895), ''C. merriami irolonis'' (

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

and Goldman, 1934), ''C. irolonis'' (Davis, 1944), and ''C. merriami peraltus'' (Goldman, 1937), and is part of the '' C. castanops''

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

Conservation status

Although it occupies an area of less than 20,000 km², ''C. perotensis'' is thought to be common and is not considered threatened.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2498358 Cratogeomys Endemic mammals of Mexico Fauna of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt Fauna of Central Mexico Mammals described in 1895 Taxa named by Clinton Hart Merriam Oriental Basin