Knox Jones's pocket gopher

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Knox Jones's pocket gopher
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Geomyidae
Genus:	Geomys
Species:	G. knoxjonesi
Binomial name
*Geomys knoxjonesi* Baker & Genoways, 1975^[2]
Synonyms
Geomys bursarius knoxjonesi

Knox Jones's pocket gopher (Geomys knoxjonesi) is a species of pocket gopher found in Texas and New Mexico.^[1] This species is named for Dr. J. Knox Jones Jr. (1929–1992), a prolific mammalogist at Texas Tech University.^[3]

It is a relatively small gopher, with a total length of about 24 cm (9.4 in), including an 8 cm (3.1 in) tail, and weighing from 160 to 185 g (5.6 to 6.5 oz). Males are slightly larger than females. It has a typical gopher-like body, with large, clawed, forelimbs, small eyes and ears, and a fur-lined cheek pouches. The fur is buff-brown fur and fades to white on the belly and feet. It is visually indistinguishable from the plains pocket gopher, and was formerly considered to be a subspecies of that animal, before being raised to full species status in 1989 on the basis of genetic differences.^[4]

Knox Jones's pocket gopher is found in the central western regions of Texas, roughly between the counties of Ward, Martin, and Cochran, and in southeastern New Mexico as far as Chaves County.^[2] Within this region, it inhabits areas with deep sandy soils, rather than the harder loamy soils favoured by the plains pocket gopher, and feeds on the roots and stems of plants such as yucca, sunflowers, and various grasses.^[4]

The gopher is territorial and solitary, except during the October to April breeding season.^[5] Gestation lasts about 23 days, and the young are weaned after three to four weeks.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b Cassola, F. (2016). "Geomys knoxjonesi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T136258A22218149. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136258A22218149.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b Baker, R.J.; Genoways, H.H. (1975). "A new subspecies of Geomys bursarius (Mammalia: Geomyidae) from Texas and New Mexico" (PDF). Occasional Papers, the Museum, Texas Tech University. 29: 1–18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-02-07.
^ Findlay, J.S.; et al. (1996). "J. Knox Jones, Jr.: 1929–1992". Journal of Mammalogy. 77 (2): 578–593. doi:10.2307/1382831. JSTOR 1382831.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hopton, M.E.; Cameron, G.N. (2001). "Geomys knoxjonesi". Mammalian Species. 672: Number 672: pp. 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2001)672<0001:GK>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 198969071.
^ Pembleton, E.F.; Baker, R.J. (1978). "Studies of a contact zone between chromosomally characterized populations of Geomys bursarius". Journal of Mammalogy. 59 (2): 233–242. doi:10.2307/1379909. JSTOR 1379909.

Extant species of family Geomyidae (Pocket gophers)

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Castorimorpha
Superfamily: Geomyoidea

Cratogeomys

Geomys
(Eastern pocket gophers)

Heterogeomys

Orthogeomys

Giant pocket gopher (O. grandis)

Pappogeomys

Buller's pocket gopher (P. bulleri)

Thomomys
(Smooth-toothed
pocket gophers)

Subgenus Megascapheus	Thomomys atrovarius Botta's pocket gopher (T. bottae) Camas pocket gopher (T. bulbivorus) Thomomys nayarensis Thomomys sheldoni Townsend's pocket gopher (T. townsendii) Southern pocket gopher (T. umbrinus)
Subgenus Thomomys	Wyoming pocket gopher (T. clusius) Idaho pocket gopher (T. idahoensis) Mazama pocket gopher (T. mazama) Mountain pocket gopher (T. monticola) Northern pocket gopher (T. talpoides)

Zygogeomys

Michoacan pocket gopher (Z. trichopus)

Category

Taxon identifiers
Geomys knoxjonesi	Wikidata: Q1761986 Wikispecies: Geomys knoxjonesi ADW: Geomys_knoxjonesi CoL: 3FQC3 EoL: 328545 GBIF: 2439373 iNaturalist: 44055 IRMNG: 10980678 ITIS: 552518 IUCN: 136258 MDD: 1001860 MSW: 12800074 NatureServe: 2.105385 NCBI: 27683 Open Tree of Life: 451267

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