Order Rodentia: Families Geomyidae and Heteromyidae

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering species identification, diagnostic morphological traits, cranial features, and geographical distributions of Texas Geomyidae (pocket gophers) and Heteromyidae (pocket mice and kangaroo rats).

Yellow-faced Pocket Gopher

Order: Rodentia

Family: Geomyidae

Genus: Cratogeomys

Species: Cratogeomys castanops

1. Key Identification Trait

   • Upper incisors feature a single distinct longitudinal groove down the face of each tooth.

• A large pocket gopher with dull yellowish-brown pelage,

• blackish feet, and relatively large eyes

Plains Pocket Gopher

Order: Rodentia

Family: Geomyidae

Genus: Geomys

Species: Geomys bursarius

Key Identification Trait

• Upper incisors possess two distinct parallel longitudinal grooves.

Description

• disproportionately massive head

• front end with curved digging claws

• tiny eyes, rudimentary ears, and a sparsely haired tail roughly $\frac{1}{3}$ of its body length

Order: Rodentia

Family: Geomyidae

Genus: Geomys

Species: Geomys bursarius

Plains Pocket Gopher

Texas Pocket Gopher

Order: Rodentia

Family: Geomyidae

Genus: Geomys

Species: Geomys personatus

Key Identification Trait

• Sparsely haired tail with a hairless distal half

• paired with a distinct marbled dusky-and-white underbelly.

• pale or grayish drab pelage and two incisor grooves

Llano Pocket Gopher

Order: Rodentia

Family: Geomyidae

Genus: Geomys

Species: Geomys texensis

Key Identification Trait

• A prominent dark dorsal stripe extending along the midline of the back from head to rump on russet brown fur,

• contrasting with white feet and underparts.

• small size

Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Chaetodipus

Species: Chaetodipus eremicus

Key Identification Trait

• Long, bicolored, crested, and tufted tail paired with coarse, oily pelage that lacks rump spines.

• featuring grooved incisors,

• upper grayish fur toned with black

• hind foot soles naked to the heel

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Chaetodipus

Species: Chaetodipus eremicus

Chihuahuan Desert Pocket Mouse

Hispid Pocket Mouse

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Chaetodipus

Species: Chaetodipus hispidus

Key Identification Trait

• Coarse, hispid (non-spiny) pelage with an orange midline/lateral line and a relatively short tail

• grooved upper incisors

• hind foot soles naked to the heel

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Chaetodipus

Species: Chaetodipus hispidus

Hispid Pocket Mouse

Nelson’s Pocket Mouse

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Chaetodipus

Species: Chaetodipus nelsoni

Key Identification Trait

• Prominent stiff bristles or spines on the rump and solid black soles on the hind feet.

• harsh grayish pelage

• tufted tail longer than the head and body

Gulf Coast Kangaroo Rat

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys compactus

Key Identification Trait

• Five toes on each hind foot,

• white cheeks

• relatively short tail.

• Retains primitive cranial and dental morphology compared to other kangaroo rats

Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys merriami

Key Identification Trait

• Four toes on each hind foot

• exceptionally long tail terminating in a dusky tip.

• buffy orange fur, dorsal and ventral dusky tail stripes, and white underparts

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys merriami

Merriam’s Kangaroo Rat

Ord’s Kangaroo Rat

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys ordii

1. Key Identification Trait

   • Five toes on each hind foot

   • paired with conspicuous white spots at the base of the ears and above the eyes.

   • reddish-brown upperparts and a relatively shorter, dark-tipped tail

Banner-tailed Kangaroo Rat

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Dipodomys

Species: Dipodomys spectabilis

Key Identification Trait

• Four toes on each hind foot

• massive tail approximately terminating in a stark white "banner" tip.

• largest kangaroo rat

• yellowish-brown pelage with dark dorsal and ventral tail stripes

Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Heteromys

Species: Heteromys irroratus

Key Identification Trait

• Extremely harsh, oily pelage with flattened, grooved, sharp-pointed spiny hairs across the upper body,

• ungrooved incisors, and a specialized spoon-shaped claw on each hind foot.

• grayish-brown pelage, a buff lateral stripe, and white underpart

Silky Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavus)

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Perognathus

Species: Perognathus flavus

Key Identification Trait

• Tiny body size with soft silky orange fur and a clear

• distinct buff spot directly behind each ear.

• The smallest member of the genus

• short ears

• sparsely haired tail

Merriam’s Pocket Mouse

Order: Rodentia

Family: Heteromyidae

Genus: Perognathus

Species: Perognathus merriami

Key Identification Trait

• Silky yellowish-orange pelage

• distinct dark horizontal stripe behind the nose

• a pale ring encircling each eye.