Part 4

Goldman (Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:342, July 15, 1938) named the subspecies Thomomys bottae pinalensis on the basis of only one specimen, an immature female (245709 BS) from Oak Flat, five miles east of Superior, Pinal Mountains, Arizona. Examination shows it to be indistinguishable in characters of taxonomic importance (coloration, external measurements, shape of skull and size of skull) from specimens of T. b. mutabilis of comparable sex and age. No. 245709 is well within the limits of individual variation of T. b. mutabilis as is shown by the several specimens (all in the U. S. Biological Surveys Collection) as follow: Nos. 214118, 214670 (topotypes from Camp Verde, Arizona), 212707 (Chiricahua Ranch, 20 mi. E Calva), 208635 (H-bar Ranch, 20 mi. S Payson), and 215762 (Turkey Creek). Therefore, the name Thomomys bottae pinalensis is here arranged as a synonym of the earlier name, Thomomys bottae mutabilis Goldman (Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 46:75, April 27, 1933), the type locality of which is Camp Verde, Yavapai County, Arizona.

~Thomomys bottae patulus~ Goldman

When Goldman (Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 26:113, March 15, 1936) named the subspecies Thomomys bottae desitus, he assigned to it (op. cit.:114) 10 specimens obtained at Wickenburg, Maricopa County, Arizona. He did not mention specimens from Wickenburg when he subsequently named the subspecies Thomomys bottae patulus (Jour. Washington Acad. Sci., 28:341, July 15, 1938) and stated that T. b. patulus was known only from the type locality in the "bottomland along Hassayampa River, two miles below Wickenburg." Examination in 1950 of specimens referable to T. b. patulus in the U. S. Biological Surveys Collection shows all of them, including the holotype, to be labeled "Wickenburg." The 10 specimens from Wickenburg reported by Goldman in 1936 as T. b. desitus were included by him among the 16 (actually 17, one being a skull only) upon which he based his description of T. b. patulus in 1938. Examination of the field catalogues of 3 of the 4 collectors who obtained the specimens discloses that only the 7 specimens obtained last were recorded as occurring in the Hassayampa River bottoms; the first 10 were recorded only as from "Wickenburg." Briefly, only one subspecies, T. b. patulus, is present in the area, and Goldman in 1938 seems to have thought that the two localities were actually the same, and that "2 miles below Wickenburg" was the more precise designation.

~Thomomys bottae providentialis~ Grinnell

We have examined a specimen, No. 26120/33526, from 12-Mile Spring, California, in the U. S. Biological Surveys Collection, which Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:73, November 15, 1945) referred to the subspecies Thomomys perpallidus [= aureus] perpes. We find the specimen to be referable to the later named Thomomys bottae providentialis on the basis of smaller ear, more massive, more ridged and angular skull, greater interorbital breadth, deeper and thicker rostrum, less globular bullae, and U-shaped rather than V-shaped interpterygoid space. Therefore, 12-Mile Spring is the northernmost locality of occurrence of the subspecies T. b. providentialis.

~Thomomys bottae sanctidiegi~ Huey

In his discussion of the pocket gophers of Baja California, Huey (Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 10:245-268, map, August 31, 1945) made no mention of specimens from Ensenada, Baja California, recorded by Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:58, November 15, 1915) as Thomomys bottae nigricans. We have examined the specimens from Ensenada available to Bailey in the U. S. Biological Surveys Collection, Nos. 137724, 139890, and 139891, subadult, immature, and adult, respectively. As compared with Thomomys bottae sanctidiegi from the mouth of the Tiajuana River (No. 126028) and T. b. nigricans (topotypes), the one adult specimen from Ensenada agrees with T. b. sanctidiegi and differs from T. b. nigricans in lighter color, larger and more angular skull, and more inflated braincase. The specimens from Ensenada differ from the adjacent subspecies to the south, Thomomys bottae proximarinus [to judge from Huey's (op. cit.) characterization of that subspecies] in lighter color, and larger, more robust skull. Accordingly, the specimens from Ensenada are referred to Thomomys bottae sanctidiegi.

~Thomomys bottae siccovallis~ Huey

Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:58, November 15, 1915) listed a specimen from Mattomi, Baja California, as Thomomys bottae nigricans. When Huey (Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist., 10:259, August 31, 1945) revived the name Thomomys [bottae] aphrastus Elliot, and named (op. cit.:258) Thomomys bottae siccovallis he made no mention of the specimen, from Mattomi, which, on geographic grounds, would be expected to be T. b. aphrastus, T. b. martirensis J. A. Allen, or T. b. siccovallis. We have examined an adult male (10832 CNHM), probably the specimen seen by Bailey (loc. cit.), from Mattomi, and have compared No. 10832 with six topotypes (10813-10816, 10819 and 10820 CNHM) of T. b. martirensis, the type and one topotype (10798 CNHM) of T. b. aphrastus and with the original description of T. b. siccovallis. The specimen from Mattomi seems to be unique in the large size of the tympanic bullae. The specimen in question differs from T. b. martirensis also in shorter and wider skull, shorter and wider rostrum, and longer and wider molariform teeth. In these features resemblance is shown to the holotype of T. b. aphrastus and even greater resemblance is shown to T. b. siccovallis to which the specimen from Mattomi is referred.

~Thomomys monticola mazama~ Merriam

This subspecies of the Cascades of Oregon and Thomomys monticola nasicus of the territory immediately to the east of the Cascades, in the same state, were originally described (Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 11:214 and 216, respectively, July 15, 1897) and redescribed (Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:123 and 125, respectively, November 15, 1915) as distinguished from each other by paler color, smaller tympanic bullae and longer nasals in T. m. nasicus. The holotypes do differ in these respects. The assigned (by Bailey, loc. cit.) specimens indicate that the opposite condition obtains with respect to the size of bullae; that is to say, the bullae are smaller in T. m. mazama. In these referred specimens from Oregon the nasals are actually and relatively longer in T. m. nasicus, which averages paler (less black and more red). Certain specimens of the two subspecies that are comparable as to sex, age and season, are indistinguishable in color.

This is the background against which Bailey (op. cit.:125), contrary to his statement of geographic ranges (op. cit.:123, 125) and map (op. cit.:fig. 5, p. 23), assigned, in his list of specimens examined, two specimens ([** Male] ad. 79817 and [** Female] ad. 79818 BS) from Pengra, west of the Cascades, to the subspecies T. m. nasicus. In the specimens from Pengra the bullae are angular as in referred specimens of nasicus (unlike those of the holotype), the rostra are intermediate in length between those of the two subspecies concerned, and the color is light as in T. m. nasicus but can be matched by that of certain specimens of T. m. mazama, for example by that of No. 79821 BS from Diamond Lake, Oregon. Consequently, on morphological grounds, the two specimens from Pengra can be assigned to T. m. mazama almost as well as to T. m. nasicus. Having regard for the geographic relations, we assign them to T. m. mazama.

In making this tentative identification we are aware that the acquisition of more nearly adequate material from Oregon, and critical study of such material, may bring a subspecific arrangement of the populations of Thomomys monticola different from the current one.

~Thomomys talpoides bullatus~ Bailey

Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:101, November 15, 1915) identified as Thomomys talpoides clusius two specimens (66465 and 66523 BS) from Pass (= Parkman) and one specimen (66464 BS) from Dayton, in Wyoming. We have examined these specimens and find that they lack the broad braincase and narrow nasals of clusius and in these and in other features the three specimens resemble T. t. caryi and T. t. bullatus more than they resemble any other named kinds. Although structurally, and in color, intermediate between the two subspecies named immediately above, the specimens show greater resemblance (large size and narrow braincase) to the latter and are referred by us to Thomomys talpoides bullatus.

~Thomomys talpoides clusius~ Coues

Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:102, November 15, 1915) identified as Thomomys talpoides bullatus an adult male (147347 BS) from the J. K. Ranch, 5900 ft., on Meadow Creek, Wind River, Wyoming [= Wind River of Bailey, loc. cit.] and a young female (168666 BS) from Sage Creek, 8 mi. NW Fort Washakie, Wyoming. The rosaceous tone of these pale individuals is more as in some populations of T. t. ocius and T. t. clusius to the southward. Also, the skull of the male, although large, is distinctly narrower than in T. t. bullatus and we think shows the influence of the T. t. tenellus stock. All features considered, we refer the specimens to T. t. clusius.

~Thomomys talpoides glacialis~ Dalquest and Scheffer

Vernon Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 39:119, November 15, 1915) listed 19 specimens from Roy, Washington, as Thomomys douglasi yelmensis Merriam. Our examination of 26 specimens (205039-205051, 205072-205077, and 206545-206551 BS) labeled as "Roy," and presumably including those listed by Bailey (loc. cit.), leads us to identify all 26 as Thomomys talpoides glacialis on the basis of widely spreading zygomatic arches and decidedly ochraceous hue of underparts.

~Geomys bursarius jugossicularis~ Hooper

Seven skins with skulls (35104/47369-35110/47375 BS) from Las Animas, Colorado, probably formed the basis for Cary's (N. Amer. Fauna, 33:129, August 17, 1911) record of Geomys lutescens from that locality. Comparison of the material reveals that the animals are referable instead to the later named subspecies, Geomys lutescens jugossicularis Hooper (Occas. Papers Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 420:1, June 28, 1940), on the basis of (1) more reddish color, (2) deeper zygomatic plate, (3) shorter jugal as expressed as a percentage of the length of the part of the zygomatic arch anterior to the jugal, and (4) larger area of inner face of jugal exposed when skull is viewed from directly above. Possibly it is noteworthy that the specimens from Las Animas are larger than Hooper's holotype and one topotype; this larger size is indicative of intergradation with G. b. lutescens as represented by the specimens examined by us from Pueblo.

Our examination of an adult female, No. 128242 BS and a juvenal female, No. 128243 BS, from 15 mi. E Texline, Texas, recorded by Bailey (N. Amer. Fauna, 25:132, October 24, 1905) under the name Geomys lutescens reveals that the specimens are referable to Geomys bursarius jugossicularis instead of to Geomys bursarius major on the basis of (1) mastoid part of tympanic bulla more inflated posteriorly, (2) narrowness of frontals between posterior tongues of the premaxillae and, (3) lighter color.

~Liomys irroratus irroratus~ Gray

When Hooper and Handley (Occas. Papers Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 514:1-34, October 29, 1948) published a revised map (op. cit.:3) showing the geographic distribution of the subspecies of Liomys irroratus they did not mention a specimen from Agusinapa, Guerrero, which inferentially from their map would be L. i. irroratus although it previously had been recorded as L. i. torridus by Goldman (N. Amer. Fauna, 34:55, September 7, 1911). We have examined the specimen (70228 BS), which retains the upper deciduous premolar. Its long foot (32 mm.) and broad cranium (13 mm.) are the bases for identifying the specimen as Liomys irroratus irroratus instead of L. i. minor, which is smaller.

~Liomys irroratus minor~ Merriam

When Hooper and Handley (Occas. Papers Mus. Zool., Univ. Michigan, 514:1-34, October 29, 1948) published a revised map (op. cit.:3) showing the geographic distribution of the subspecies of Liomys irroratus they did not mention five specimens from Tlapa, Guerrero, which inferentially from their map would be L. i. irroratus although these specimens previously had been recorded as L. i. torridus by Goldman (N. Amer. Fauna, 34:55, September 7, 1911). We have examined the five specimens (70221-70225 BS), three of which retain the upper deciduous premolars and two of which have the upper fourth premolar unworn. The short, wide rostrum is unlike the long slender rostrum of topotypes of L. i. torridus of comparable age, and agrees with the condition in topotypes of L. i. minor of comparable age. It is on this basis of wider rostrum that we refer the five specimens from Tlapa to Liomys i. minor which Hooper and Handley (op. cit.:13) described as differing from the geographically adjacent L. i. irroratus in "short and strongly tapered rostrum." We would add that we have not independently verified this difference between L. i. minor and L. i. irroratus for want of specimens of L. i. irroratus comparable in age to the five individuals from Tlapa.

The map of Hooper and Handley (loc. cit.) inferentially excludes Tlalixtaquilla, Guerrero, from the geographic range of L. i. minor (and places Tlalixtaquilla within the range of L. i. irroratus) although Goldman (op. cit.:56) previously had identified specimens from this place as L. i. minor. Our examination of the two immature specimens (70227 and 70230 BS) from Tlalixtaquilla reveals that they closely resemble the holotype of L. i. minor and leads to the conclusion that they are Liomys irroratus minor.

~Perognathus amplus pergracilis~ Goldman