Cratogeomys castanops consitus Nelson and Goldman
| 1934. | Cratogeomys castanops consitus Nelson and Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 47:140, June 13, type from Gallego, 5500 ft., Chihuahua. |
Distribution.--Arid high plains from central Chihuahua, east and southeast at least into northwestern Coahuila (see [fig. 1]).
Comparisons.--From Cratogeomys castanops lacrimalis Nelson and Goldman, specimens from Boquillas and Marathon north of the Río Grande in Texas, consitus differs in: Body smaller; tail and hind foot shorter; upper parts paler, more light buffy and less rufous; underparts paler, light buffy instead of dark buffy; skull decidedly smaller; zygomata slightly less widely flaring; palate especially shorter; rostrum narrower; squamosal breadth less; incisors smaller. From topotypes of Cratogeomys castanops clarkii, found to the north along the Río Grande, consitus differs in: Body smaller; tail and hind foot shorter; upper parts paler, more buffy and less rufous; skull markedly smaller, especially in palate and nasals; zygomata less widely flaring; tympanic bullae more inflated; mastoid bullae less inflated; basioccipital parallel-sided as opposed to wedge-shaped. From Cratogeomys castanops convexus, found to the east, consitus differs in: Body smaller; tail and hind foot shorter; upper parts paler, more buffy and less ochraceous; underparts paler, white or light buffy instead of pale ochraceous; skull smaller; zygomata less widely flaring; palate shorter; rostrum decidedly narrower and, relative to length of skull, longer; squamosal breadth less; incisors smaller. From Cratogeomys castanops excelsus, found to the south, consitus differs in: Size smaller; tail and hind foot shorter; upper parts darker, more rufous and less pinkish-buff; skull conspicuously smaller, especially in palate, rostrum, and nasals; zygomata less widely flaring; mastoid bullae and tympanic bullae more inflated; incisors smaller; maxillary teeth relatively larger. For comparison of consitus with Cratogeomys castanops sordidulus, see previous account.
Remarks.--Cratogeomys castanops consitus is a small pocket gopher (see [tables 1 and 2]); the largest adult available to us is much smaller than the smallest adult of any adjacent subspecies. Specimens from Coahuila assigned to consitus compare favorably with topotypes although those from the vicinity of Jaco are smaller, paler and have a narrower rostrum and smaller maxillary teeth. An immature male trapped three miles northeast of Sierra Mojada is tentatively assigned to consitus. This subspecies seems to be rare in northwestern Coahuila and small colonies are widely scattered.
Cratogeomys castanops clarkii (Baird) may occur along the Río Grande in extreme northwestern Coahuila. No specimens are known from Coahuila, and none was found in the vicinity of Boquillas, Coahuila, in 1952.
Specimens examined.--Total, 8, from: 3 mi. N and 9 mi. E El Pino, 1; 6 mi. E Jaco, Chihuahua, in Coahuila, 6; 3 mi. NE Sierra Mojada, 1.
Cratogeomys castanops excelsus Nelson and Goldman
| 1934. | Cratogeomys castanops excelsus Nelson and Goldman, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 47:143, June 13, type from San Pedro, 10 mi. W Laguna de Mayrán, Coahuila. |