The Project Gutenberg eBook of Geographic Variation in the Pocket Gopher, Cratogeomys castanops, in Coahuila, Mexico by Robert J. Russell And Rollin H. Baker.

TABLE 2. Measurements of Adult Male Cratogeomys from
Coahuila, México

Table legend:

Column A:	No. av. or cat. no.
Column B:	Total length
Column C:	Length of tail
Column D:	Length of hind foot
Column E:	Condylobasal breadth
Column F:	Zygomatic breadth
Column G:	Length of palate
Column H:	Breadth of rostrum
Column I:	Length of nasals
Column J:	Squamosal breadth
Column K:	Alveolar length of maxillary tooth-row

=
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K

C. c. convexus, Villa Acuña
52260	275	89	39	55.0	34.4	37.0	12.6	20.0	30.9	10.4

C. c. bullatus, 3 mi. S and 12 mi. E Nava
48500	261	80	36	49.7	35.3	34.4	12.4	17.1	29.2	9.5

La Gacha
57028	250	76	34	49.9	34.0	34.4	11.5	16.6	28.4	9.3

C. c. ustulatus, Don Martin
34587	280	75	37	54.6	37.3	38.2	13.7	20.6	31.8	10.3

C. c. jucundus, Hermanas
56605	311	80	42	56.9	38.7	40.1	13.3	21.0	32.3	9.9

C. c. sordidulus, 1.5 mi. NW Ocampo
56733	307	88	37	57.5	49.6	40.3	13.6	22.1	33.1	10.3

C. c. consistus, 3 mi. N and 9 mi. E El Pino
54547	289	94	36	53.8	32.6	37.1	12.7	18.8	29.5	9.6

C. c. excelsus, 2 mi. E Torreón
40224	315	97	41	54.7	37.8	37.6	12.1	19.5	31.4	9.8

C. c. subsimus, Hda. El Tulillo, 5 km. S Hipolito
35772	315	105	40	56.4	35.3	39.5	12.5	20.8	33.8	10.6

2 mi. N Santa Cruz
48517	316	89	40	58.2	37.9	40.3	14.1	21.7	34.8	10.3

C. c. goldmani, W foot Pico de Jimulco
55610	255	82	36	48.9	33.4	33.4	11.7	17.7	29.6	9.3

C. c. subnubilus, Carneros (BSC)
79484	247	86	34	45.3	30.9	30.8	9.6	15.7	28.4	8.5

8 mi. N La Ventura
34932	250	79	34	46.3	31.8	31.0	9.6	16.4	28.7	8.4

C. c. planifrons, 4 mi. S and 6 mi. E Saltillo
35779	254	76	34	48.0	32.2	32.6	9.8	16.6	28.0	8.6
35780	272	85	35	48.8	33.2	34.1	10.5	17.5	29.9	9.5

12 mi. S and 2 mi. E Arteaga
33122	255	72	35	47.0	32.3	31.2	10.5	15.5	28.7	9.0

Remarks.--Cratogeomys castanops subsimus is the largest known subspecies of the species in cranial dimensions, but is exceeded in size of body by C. c. jucundus to the north. Of adjacent subspecies, subsimus is the most closely related to excelsus and shows little or no relationship to the smaller and darker C. c. subnubilus and C. c. planifrons, which are found at higher elevations to the south and southeast, respectively. Movements by subsimus to the north, east, and south are barred by inhospitable mountains. Specimens of subsimus from the northeastern part of its range are larger and darker than other specimens assigned to this subspecies. An adult female, assigned to subsimus, from the vicinity of Santa Rosa is noticeably smaller and paler than typical specimens of this subspecies.

Cratogeomys castanops subsimus occurs in scattered colonies in sandy soils principally in the upper drainage of the Río Salinas. Specimens have also been taken from the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental and westward on the elevated desert plains.

Specimens examined.--Total, 22, from: 3 mi. S and 3 mi. E Muralla, 3800 ft., 3; 2 mi. N Santa Cruz, 2; 21 mi. S and 11 mi. E Australia, 4400 ft., 6; Jaral, 3860 ft., 4 (BSC); Hacienda El Tulillo, 5 km. S Hipolito, 2; 17 mi. N and 8 mi. W Saltillo, 5200 ft., 1; 3 mi. N and 5 mi. W La Rosa, 3600 ft., 1; 12 mi. N and 10 mi. E Parras, 5000 ft., 1; N foot Sierra Guadalupe, 9 mi. S and 5 mi. W General Cepeda, 6200 ft., 1; N foot Sierra Guadalupe, 10 mi. S and 5 mi. W General Cepeda, 6500 ft., 1.

Cratogeomys castanops goldmani Merriam

Distribution.--Plains of northeastern Zacatecas, northward into extreme southwestern Coahuila (see fig. 1).

Comparisons.--Compared with Cratogeomys castanops subnubilus, found to the east, goldmani differs in: Body larger, tail and hind foot longer; color paler, more rufous and less blackish; skull larger; zygomata more widely flaring; palate larger; rostrum broader; nasals longer; maxillary teeth larger. Compared with Cratogeomys castanops rubellus Nelson and Goldman, found to the southeast, goldmani differs in: Body and skull smaller; zygomata less widely flaring; palate shorter; rostrum narrower; maxillary teeth smaller.

Remarks.--Records of goldmani given here extend the known range of this subspecies northward into southwestern Coahuila. Specimens assigned to this subspecies from Coahuila compare favorably with topotypes of goldmani (see tables 1 and 2) but are slightly paler, and in this respect show some relationship to excelsus. The ranges of these two subspecies however, are partly isolated by mountainous country in southern Coahuila.

Specimens examined.--Total, 6, from: W foot Pico de Jimulco, 4600 ft., 1; Valley Río Aguanaval, 1 mi. S Jimulco, 4; 1-1/2 mi. N Parras, 1.

Cratogeomys castanops subnubilus Nelson and Goldman

Distribution.--Intermontane valleys and plains of southeastern Coahuila and probably adjacent parts of Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Nuevo León (see fig. 1).

Comparisons.--Cratogeomys castanops subnubilus needs close comparison only with Cratogeomys castanops planifrons, found to the east and from which subnubilus differs in: Body, hind foot and skull smaller; upper parts, in summer pelage, paler, more rufous-buff and less dark russet; underparts paler, more whitish and less blackish; hairs of hind foot reddish rather than blackish; zygomata more widely flaring; palate shorter, especially in females; rostrum broader, especially in females; nasals slightly smaller; squamosal breadth greater; incisors narrower, especially in males; maxillary teeth smaller. From Cratogeomys castanops rubellus Nelson and Goldman, found to the south in San Luis Potosí, subnubilus differs in: Body, hind foot and all parts of skull smaller; upper parts and underparts darker, more blackish and less rufous.

Remarks.--Cratogeomys castanops subnubilus is the smallest subspecies of C. castanops (see tables 1 and 2). This subspecies is dark and lives at high elevations (5500 ft. to 6800 ft.) in deep valley soils in relatively isolated intermontane valleys and elevated plains. It is differentiated to a much higher degree from adjacent subspecies of C. castanops than is usual in this species, and no intergrades between subnubilus and other subspecies have been taken. In the Sierra Guadalupe, subnubilus was trapped at 6700 feet within two miles of a place where subsimus was taken at 6500 feet.

Specimens examined.--Total, 31, from: 1 mi. N Agua Nueva, 5500 ft., 1; Domingo Cañon, Sierra Guadalupe, 6700 ft., 11 mi. S and 4 mi. W General Cepeda, 1; Carneros, 6800 ft., 6 (BSC); 1 mi. S Carneros, 6000 ft., 4; 2 mi. W San Miguel, 5500 ft., 3; 8 mi. N La Ventura, 6000 ft., 10; La Ventura, 5600 ft, 6 (BSC).

Cratogeomys castanops planifrons Nelson and Goldman

Distribution.--Elevated montane valleys of Sierra Madre Oriental of extreme southeastern Coahuila, south and east into southwestern Nuevo León and Western Tamaulipas (see fig. 1).

Remarks.--Specimens from Coahuila assigned to planifrons compare favorably with topotypes of this subspecies although they are slightly larger in cranial dimensions (see tables 1 and 2). This small subspecies is darker and slightly larger than subnubilus but in other ways is most closely related to subnubilus. Cratogeomys c. planifrons shows little relation to other adjacent subspecies, including tamaulipensis, subsimus and rubellus, all of which are considerably larger and paler.

Cratogeomys castanops planifrons is found in both deep and shallow soils of the high, open valleys of the Sierra Madre Oriental; in Coahuila it was taken at elevations as low as 7200 feet and as high as 8700 feet.

Specimens examined.--Total, 50, from: 4 mi. S and 6 mi. E Saltillo, 7500 ft, 7; 7 mi. S and 4 mi. E Bella Union, 7200 ft., 14; 12 mi. W San Antonio de las Alazanas, 16; 12 mi. S and 2 mi. E Arteaga, 7500 ft., 11; 2 mi. E and 2 mi. N San Antonio de las Alazanas, 8700 ft, 2.