The Texas pocket gopher (''Geomys personatus'') is a species of

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

in the family Geomyidae. It is found in

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas, is a state in Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 federal entities of Mexico. It is divided into 43 municipalities. It is located in nor ...

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 ...

and in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Description

Males grow to a length of about including a tail of about . Females are slightly smaller and both sexes weigh about . The dorsal surface is a dull greyish-brown and the ventral surface is whitish with darker patches. There is very little hair on the tail especially near the tip. The upper incisors have a pair of grooves.

Distribution

The Texas pocket gopher is found in southern

as far north as Val Verde County and San Patricio County, and the state of

, the most north-easterly part of Mexico. Its range is patchy and disjointed, similarly to other ''Geomys'' species. It is common in the sand drifts on

Mustang The mustang is a free-roaming horse of the Western United States, descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish conquistadors. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but because they are descended from once-domesticate ...

and Padre islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The population around Maverick County, Zavala County, and Dimmit County was recently recognized as a distinct species, Strecker's pocket gopher.

Behavior

A single Texas pocket gopher occupies a burrow system that may have short side branches and about of passages. It defends its burrow against intruders, emitting a wheezy call and gnashing its teeth. It mainly stays underground and plugs the surface entrances with soil. The spoil heap of excavated soil can be across and high. The Texas pocket gopher feeds on the roots of grasses such as

paspalum ''Paspalum'' is a genus of plants in the grass family. The group is widespread across much of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Commonly known as paspalum, bahiagrasses, crowngrasses or dallis grasses, many of the species are tall per ...

(''Paspalum''),

Bermuda grass ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, also known as couch grass in Australia and New Zealand, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Contra ...

(''Cynodon''), and sandbur (''Cenchrus'') and consumes all parts of a composite plant in the sunflower genus ''

Helianthus ''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to ...

''. It avoids emerging onto the surface of the ground, where it is at risk from predators, by seizing the roots of the plant and pulling it down into its burrow. It also practices

coprophagy Coprophagia ( ) or coprophagy ( ) is the consumption of feces. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek "feces" and "to eat". Coprophagy refers to many kinds of feces-eating, including eating feces of other species (heterospecifics), of o ...

, eating some of its own fecal pellets: it takes the pellets with its teeth directly from its anus, manipulates them with its fore-feet, and examines them carefully. It then consumes some and rejects others; however, the basis for its choice is unclear. Little is known about the reproductive behavior of this species but it appears to breed at any time of year. Litters of from one to five young have been recorded and there are believed to be up to two litters in the year.

Status

The Texas pocket gopher has a wide range and is common in at least part of that range, with a patchy distribution attributable to its requirement for loose, sandy soils in which to burrow. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

lists its conservation status as being of "

least concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

" because, although the population trend is unknown, it is unlikely to be declining at such a rate as to warrant listing it in a more threatened category.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1769184

Texas Pocket Gopher The Texas pocket gopher (''Geomys personatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Geomyidae. It is found in Tamaulipas in Mexico and in Texas in the United States. Description Males grow to a length of about including a tail of about . F ...

Rodents of Mexico Rodents of the United States

Mammals described in 1889 Least concern biota of North America Least concern biota of the United States Taxa named by Frederick W. True Taxonomy articles created by Polbot