Only soils with low percentages of silt, clay, and gravel will do for the Texas Pocket Gopher, so many of its populations are isolated from one another. The species occurs in southern Texas and extreme northeastern Mexico, burrowing in deep, sandy soils and only infrequently emerging aboveground. It forages on plant root systems, and is capable of pulling some plants through the soil and into its burrow. While in the burrow, Texas Pocket Gophers keep any entrance to the surface plugged with soil; this closed-door policy not only helps to keep out unwanted guests, it also helps to maintain a suitable subterranean environment. Variation in size is one notable trait of the species, probably a result of population isolation.

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The Texas pocket gopher has a patchy distribution throughout south Texas and the adjacent north-eastern portion of Tamaulipas, Mexico (Williams 1982).

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: Southern Texas, including Padre and Mustang islands and north to Val Verde County, and barrier islands of extreme northeastern Tamaulipas, Mexico (Wilkins and Swearingen 1990; Schmidly 2004; Patton, in Wilson and Reeder 1993, 2005).

Length: 33 cm

Weight: 397 grams

Sexual Dimorphism: Males are larger than females.

Length:
Average: 270 mm
Range: 216-360 mm

Weight:
Range: 165-400 g

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Fossorial, in deep sandy soils; apparently restricted to fine sands, loamy fine sands, fine sandy loams, and sandy loams (Wilkins and Swearingen 1990). Not on silt loam. Fossorial; extensive burrow system.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Comments: Feeds mostly from within burrow on roots and other plant parts, especially those of grasses (Whitaker 1980), but also herbaceous plants (Wilson and Ruff 1999).

Pocket gophers are ecologically important as prey items and in influencing soils, microtopography, habitat heterogeneity, diversity of plant species, and primary productivity (Huntly and Inouye 1988).

Observations: In the wild, the estimated lifespan of these animals is 2 years (Williams 1982). Maximum lifespan is unknown.

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Two subspecies, the maritime pocket gopher (G. personatus maritimus) and the Carrizo Springs pocket gopher (G. personatus strecki) are Vulnerable; the parent species (G. personatus) and the Rio Grande pocket gopher subspecies (G. personatus fuscus) are both Near Threatened.

Population

Population Trend

Major Threats

Conservation Actions

Comments: Morphological variation (cranial and dental) corresponds better with soils composition than with geographic location (Wilkins and Swearingen 1990).

In a phylogenetic study of Geomys mitochondrial RNA, Jolley et al. (2000) concluded that G. personatus streckeri should be recognized as a distinct species rather than as a subspecies of G. personatus. The North American mammal checklist by Baker et al. (2003) accepted G. streckeri as a distinct species. Patton (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) stated that streckeri may warrant specific status but included it as a subspecies of G. personatus.