Zygogeomys trichopus
Taxonomy [top]
| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | MAMMALIA | RODENTIA | GEOMYIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Zygogeomys trichopus | |||
| Species Authority: | Merriam, 1895 | |||
Common Name/s:
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Assessment Information [top]
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Endangered B1ab(iii,v) ver 3.1 | |||||||||
| Year Published: | 2008 | |||||||||
| Assessor/s: | Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Castro-Arellano, I., Lacher, T., Vázquez, E. & Arroyo-Cabrales, J. | |||||||||
| Reviewer/s: | McKnight, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team) & Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) | |||||||||
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Justification: Listed as Endangered because the extent of occurrence is less than 5,000 km2, all individuals are in fewer than 6 locations, the habitat is severely fragmented, and there is a continuing decline in the quality and extent of habitat, and a decline in the number of mature individuals due to competition. |
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| History: |
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Geographic Range [top]
| Range Description: | This species is known only from small areas around the general vicinity of Lago Patzcuaro, north central Michoacan, Mexico (Hafner and Barkley 1984; Patton 2005). Specifically, it is known from four areas in the Sierra Madre of Michoacan: Cerro Tancitaro, Cerro Patamban, Nahuatzen, and Patzcuaro. This species is found at elevations above 2,200 m asl. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Mexico (Michoacán)
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| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
Population [top]
| Population: | The species was once said to be widespread across the area, occurring on wooded slopes, the borders of grassy parks, and in cultivated areas. It was found in high densities throughout its range. However, this species is not tolerant of habitat degradation and competition with other species that have extended their range following the transformation of habitat (Ceballos and Oliva 2005). In recent years the species has suffered a severe decline in population. |
| Population Trend: |
Decreasing
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Habitat and Ecology [top]
| Habitat and Ecology: | This species is poorly known. It prefers the deep, friable soil of high montane pine-spruce-alder forests. Burrow entrances are covered by volcano-like mounds of earth with no opening and it is thought that the species may be entirely fossorial (Ceballos and Oliva 2005). |
| Systems: | Terrestrial |
Threats [top]
| Major Threat(s): | Agricultural encroachment has resulted in the removal of some forest areas within the range of this species. However, the main threat to the species thought to be competition from Cratogeomys, which has moved higher into the mountains as a result of forest destruction on lower slopes (Ceballos and Oliva 2005). |
Conservation Actions [top]
| Conservation Actions: | This species is protected under Mexican law as "en peligro de extinción" ('in danger of extinction'). There are no protected areas within its range. |
Bibliography [top]
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Ceballos, G. and Oliva, G. 2005. Los mamíferos silvestres de México. Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad and Fondo de Cultura Económica, México. Hafner, M. S. and Barkley, L. J. 1984. Genetics and natural history of a relictual pocket gopher, Zygogeomys (Rodentia: Geomyidae). Journal of Mammalogy 65: 474-479. Patton, J. L. 2005. Family Geomyidae. In: D.E. Wilson and D.M. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World, pp. 859-871. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA. |
| Citation: | Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Castro-Arellano, I., Lacher, T., Vázquez, E. & Arroyo-Cabrales, J. 2008. Zygogeomys trichopus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012. |
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