Querétaro Pocket Gophers have been studied both in the field and in captivity, so a bit more is known about their habits than is known about other species. They are never seen sleeping in the wild, but captives curled themselves into a ball, tucking their head tucked between their front feet - and like teenagers, were hard to wake up. They used their front feet to groom themselves, cleaning their head, nose, cheek pouches, and ears.
These small pocket gophers are known only from an isolated mountain range, where they have been found from 2,570-2,896 m elevation. The mounds that mark their tunnel entrances are often spotted in potato or corn fields or apple orchards, often near pine forests. They excavate one main tunnel that can have as many as 25 side tunnels, and use small corn stems and grasses to furnish a nest chamber. They are reported to do most of their eating in the morning, work on their burrow systems in the morning and late afternoon, and sleep most of the day. Known predators include snakes, coatis, weasels, coyotes, and gray foxes.
Length:
Range:
Total Length: 220-370 mm; Tail: 65-120 mm
Weight:
Range:
183-500 g
References:
Merriam, C.H., 1902. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 15:68.
Links:
Mammal Species of the World (opens in a new window).
Mammalian Species, American Society of Mammalogists' species account (opens in a new window).
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