Megascapheus sheldoni

(V. O. Bailey, 1915)

Sierra Madre Occidental Pocket Gopher

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Placentalia
Magnorder : Boreoeutheria
Superorder : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodentia
Suborder : Supramyomorpha
Infraorder : Castorimorphi
Family : Geomyidae
Subfamily : Geomyinae
Tribe : Thomomyini
Genus : Megascapheus

Species status

Living
Found in the wild

Authority citation

Bailey, V.O. 1915-11-15. Revision of the pocket gophers of the genus Thomomys. North American Fauna 39:1-136.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45378341

Original name as described

Thomomys sheldoni

Other common names

Sheldon Pocket Gopher

Type material

USNM:MAMM:90819

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b9cf0a9d-1768-4f1a-b197-cb8dac60c0e1

Type locality

"Santa Teresa (6,800 feet altitude), Tepic, [Nayarit], Mexico."

Biogeographic realm

Nearctic

Country distribution

Mexico

Taxonomy notes

split from M. umbrinus; moved from Thomomys to Megascapheus

Taxonomy notes citation

Mathis, V. L., Hafner, M. S., Hafner, D. J., & Demastes, J. W. (2013). Resurrection and redescription of the pocket gopher Thomomys sheldoni from the Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico. Journal of Mammalogy, 94(3), 544-560. · Álvarez-Castañeda, S. T., & Segura-Trujillo, C. A. (2025). Genus-level review of pocket gophers in the family Geomyidae. Therya, 16(1), 41-75.

IUCN Red List status

Not Evaluated

Species Permalink

https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1001885

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Thomomys sheldoni

(V. O. Bailey, 1915)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

sheldoni

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:90819

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3b9cf0a9d-1768-4f1a-b197-cb8dac60c0e1

Authority page

93

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45378341

Authority publication

North American Fauna

Name usages

  1. Patton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8529)
  2. Wilson, Lacher & Mittermeier (2016:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59599)
  3. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #100000352) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  4. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #100000352) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  5. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1001885) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)

Thomomys umbrinus chihuahuae

(E. W. Nelson & E. A. Goldman, 1934)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

chihuahuae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:96452

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/328d6eedb-e5c3-4c2e-882a-9546d3a5dc5c

Authority page

114

Authority publication

Journal of Mammalogy

Name usages

  1. Anderson (1972:290) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/15657)
  2. Patton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8529)

Thomomys umbrinus crassidens

(E. W. Nelson & E. A. Goldman, 1934)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

crassidens

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

USNM:MAMM:91986

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/3554302ee-df7f-4b69-9792-e57c15d2ecb6

Authority page

113

Authority publication

Journal of Mammalogy

Name usages

Patton (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8529)

Thomomys chihuahuae

(Álvarez-Castañeda, 2010)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

chihuahuae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

679

Authority publication

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

Name usages

Álvarez-Castañeda (2010:679) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/6593)

Thomomys sheldoni chihuahuae

(D. E. Wilson, Lacher, & Mittermeier, 2016)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

chihuahuae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

239

Authority publication

Barcelona

Name usages

Wilson, Lacher & Mittermeier (2016:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59599)

Thomomys sheldoni sheldoni

(D. E. Wilson, Lacher, & Mittermeier, 2016)

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

sheldoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

239

Authority publication

Barcelona

Name usages

Wilson, Lacher & Mittermeier (2016:239) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59599)

M. s. chihuahuae

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo, 2025

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

chihuahuae

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

60

Authority publication

Therya

Name usages

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo (2025:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68853)

Megascapheus sheldoni

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo, 2025

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

sheldoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

60

Authority publication

Therya

Name usages

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo (2025:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68853)

M. s. sheldoni

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo, 2025

Family

Geomyidae

Root name

sheldoni

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

60

Authority publication

Therya

Name usages

Álvarez-Castañeda & Segura-Trujillo (2025:60) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68853)

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