Michoacan pocket gopher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Michoacan pocket gopher |
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The Michoacan pocket gopher (scientific name: Zygogeomys trichopus) is a type of rodent that lives only in Mexico. It's the only species in its group, called Zygogeomys. This gopher makes its home in cool, high-up forests. Sadly, there aren't many of them left, and they are considered an endangered animal.
What Does It Look Like?
The Michoacan pocket gopher is a small animal. It has short, thick, shiny black fur. Its tail doesn't have much hair. This gopher has tiny eyes that are set deep in its head. Right behind its nostrils, there's a small patch of bare skin. Unlike some other gophers, this one is usually calm if someone catches it. It doesn't try to bite.
Where Does It Live?
The Michoacan pocket gopher lives only in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt mountain range. This area is in central southern Mexico. You can find them in four separate spots near Lake Pátzcuaro. They live in places that are very high up, over 2,200 meters (about 7,200 feet) above sea level.
Their favorite homes are mixed forests. These forests have trees like spruce, pine, and alder. The soil there is deep and loose, which is perfect for them to dig their burrows. There are only small groups of these gophers, and they are separated by areas where they can't live. Scientists think this gopher might be a relict species. This means it's a leftover from a time when its family lived in many more places, even in the southwestern United States long ago.
Life Underground
The Michoacan pocket gopher spends most of its life in burrows underground. When it digs, it pushes soil to the surface. This creates a special cone-shaped mound of dirt with no clear entrance. One main room of a burrow was found 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) deep. This might be where the mother gopher raises her young.
Not much is known about how these gophers have babies. It might happen only during certain times of the year. One pregnant female was found in December with one baby inside her. These gophers are rarely caught in traps on the surface. This suggests they live and find all their food almost entirely underground.
Sometimes, these gophers can cause problems for people. They have been known to damage avocado trees. They can also harm young trees in projects that are replanting forests. Their digging can even affect roads, building sites, and water canals.
Why Is It Endangered?
The Michoacan pocket gopher needs very specific places to live. When farms replace the forests where they make their homes, these gophers are forced to live in higher areas. Other types of gophers, like Pappogeomys, often take over their old spots.
The total area where these gophers live is less than 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,900 square miles). Their homes are broken up into small pieces, and their numbers are going down. Because of this, the IUCN (a group that tracks wildlife) has listed the Michoacan pocket gopher as "endangered". This means they are at high risk of disappearing forever.
