Thomomys perpallidus aureus Bailey, N. Amer. Fauna, 39:75, November 15, 1915; Barnes, Bull. Univ. Utah, 12 (No. 15):85, April, 1922; Bull. Univ. Utah, 17 (No. 12):100, June, 1927.
Type.—Male, adult, skin and skull, No. 191962, U. S. National Museum (Merriam Collection); Manti, 5,500 ft., Sanpete County, Utah; December 6, 1888; collected by Vernon Bailey; original number 427 (after Goldman, type not seen).
Range.—San Pitch River Valley, Sanpete County, Utah.
Diagnosis.—Size small (see measurements). Color: Upper parts and sides Cinnamon Buff, finely mixed with black along median line of back; underparts Pinkish Buff; nose, cheeks and chin grayish black; postauricular patches fairly large and grayish black; front and hind feet white (examples from type series badly stained); tail light buff but apparently white distally (the color of these specimens has apparently changed with age). Skull: Small, fairly robust; basilar length short; zygomatic arches weak, but widely spreading; tympanic bullae small; nasals short and simple distally; ventral margin of jugals convex dorsally; extension of premaxillae posterior to nasals relatively as well as actually long; posterior tongues of premaxillae relatively wide.
Comparisons.—Topotypes of levidensis differ from those of Thomomys bottae absonus as follows: Size smaller. Color: Lighter throughout. Skull: Shorter, weaker and less ridged and angular, but relatively wider.
Compared with topotypes of Thomomys bottae albicaudatus, levidensis differs as follows: Size smaller in every measurement taken. Color: Markedly lighter throughout. Skull: Smaller in every measurement taken; width relatively greater; skull smooth, weak and nonangular as opposed to ridged, robust and angular.
For comparisons with Thomomys bottae lenis and contractus see accounts of those forms.
Remarks.—The range here ascribed to levidensis is the San Pitch River Valley, which gradually merges southward into the Sevier River Valley. The latter valley in this area is inhabited by pocket gophers that belong to another subspecies, lenis. Nephi Valley to the west of San Pitch River Valley is inhabited by animals belonging to the subspecies albicaudatus. No known specimens show intergradation between lenis and levidensis, but intergradation between lenis and albicaudatus is noted in the Nephi Valley animals (see account of albicaudatus). Superficially levidensis resembles absonus in size and color, but the skulls closely resemble those of albicaudatus, except for size in which they are smaller in all measurements. T. b. albicaudatus is the most variable subspecies of T. bottae occurring in Utah, and additional material from the Sevier River Valley between San Pitch River Valley and Nephi Valley may show levidensis to be only a local variant of the highly variable subspecies, albicaudatus.
Specimens examined.—Total, 6, from the type locality.