Cratogeomys planiceps

40. Volcan de Toluca Pocket Gopher Cratogeomys planiceps French: Gaufre du Toluca / German: Toluca-Taschenratte / Spanish: Tuza del Volcan de Toluca Taxonomy. Platygeomys planiceps Merriam, 1895, “north slope Volcan Toluca, Mexico.” Cratogeomys was regarded as a subgenus of Pappogeomys by R.J. Russell in 1968 but was returned to generic status by R. L.. Honeycutt and S. L. Willams in 1982. Russell in 1968 and J. L. Patton in 2005 recognized it as a subspecies of C. tylorhinus, but M. S. Hafner and colleagues resurrected it to species status in 2004. Molecular studies show C. planiceps to be sister to C. fumosus, and together these two species comprise the C. fumosus species group. Monotypic. Distribution. N slopes of Toluca Volcano and hills N & E of Valle de Bravo in the state of Mexico, Mexico. Descriptive notes. Head-body 235-280 mm (males) and 215-250 mm (females), tail 80-110 mm (males) and 75-105 mm (females); weight 400-625 g (males) and 400-600 g (females). Male Volcan de Toluca Pocket Gophers are often larger than females, but sexual dimorphism is not as pronounced as it is in many other geomyid species. Body size is medium to large for the genus. It has a fusiform body shape typical of all pocket gophers, and it possesses fur-lined cheek pouches that open external to the mouth. Dorsal coloris usually dark reddish brown (approaching black in some individuals) with light-brown wash laterally and ochreous-buff belly. Anterior surface of each upper incisor has a single medial groove slightly displaced to the inner side of the tooth. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 38 and FN = 72. Habitat. Deciduous forests and pine-oak woodlands that transition into pine-fir-spruce forests at high elevations. Volcan de Toluca Pocket Gophers often occur in grassy clearings within these habitats and are found at elevations of 2500-3500 m. Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but all pocket gophers that have been studied eat predominately underground roots and tubers and a limited amount of surface vegetation. The Volcan de Toluca Pocket Gopher readily invades cultivated fields and is considered an agricultural pest wherever it comes 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. There is no information available for this species. Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Volcan de Toluca 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 the Volcan de Toluca Pocket Gopher is 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. Ceballos (2014), Hafner et al. (2004), Honeycutt & Williams (1982), Lamoreux (2008), Patton (2005b), Russell (1968b).Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Geomyidae, pp. 234-269 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 252, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.660380