Volcan De Toluca Pocket Gopher

Fascinating facts about the Volcan De Toluca Pocket Gopher

• At elevations between 2,500 and 3,500 m, the Volcán de Toluca pocket gopher lives in pine-oak and pine-fir-spruce forests and also builds tunnels in nearby grassland clearings.
• Males stretch 235–280 mm long, while females are a bit shorter at 215–250 mm, and both carry tails of 75–110 mm. Their bodies weigh between 400 and 625 g, with the heaviest females reaching about 600 g and average males around 625 g. The size gap highlights subtle sexual dimorphism that may influence digging power and territory defense.
• Its pantry consists mainly of underground tubers and roots, supplemented occasionally by other vegetation, and the gopher builds dedicated chambers to store this food.
• Genetically, the species carries a diploid number of 2 n = 38 and a fundamental number of FN = 72, setting it apart from its close relative, the Smoky pocket gopher, which has 2 n = 36 and FN = 68. Those chromosome differences confirm its status as a distinct species rather than just a subspecies. The discovery underscores how small genetic tweaks can drive the evolution of entirely new lineages.
• The IUCN rates the gopher as Least Concern, noting no major threats though occasional wildfires, land clearing, pest control, hunting, and drought are mentioned as minor threats, and farmers sometimes label it a pest because of its tunnels on agricultural fields.

At a glance

About the Volcan De Toluca Pocket Gopher

The Volcán de Toluca pocket gopher (Cratogeomys planiceps) is a stout, dark brown-red rodent that lives in the high-altitude pine-oak and pine-fir-spruce forests of central Mexico. Males reach 235–280 mm in body length, females 215–250 mm, and both sexes have a short tail of 75–110 mm. They weigh between 400 and 625 g, with males slightly heavier, and have buff-colored stomachs contrasting with a light brown wash over their coats. Their compact bodies are built for a life underground, where they excavate extensive tunnel networks in grassland clearings and on agricultural fields, a habit that sometimes brands them as pests. They specialize in a subterranean diet, primarily gnawing on tubers and roots while storing extra provisions in underground chambers. They can thrive at elevations of 2,500–3,500 m. Their genetic makeup, diploid number 2 n = 38 and fundamental number FN = 72, sets them apart from their close relative, the Smoky pocket gopher.

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