The Oriental Basin pocket gopher (Cratogeomys fulvescens ) is a species of pocket gopher which is endemic to Mexico. It was first described in 1895 by Clinton Hart Merriam. It was considered to be a subspecies of Merriam's pocket gopher (Cratogeomys merriami ) in the late 20th and early 21st century but has been reinstated as its own species. The IUCN Red List has evaluated it to be of least concern.
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Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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starts withC. fulvescens is mid-sized for the genus Cratogeomys and exhibits sexual dimorphism in size. Adult males weigh of 250–550 g (8.8–19.4 oz) and adult females weigh 250–350 g (8.8–12.3 oz). Its fur coloration is "grizzled yellowish-brown" with "a strong mixture of black-tipped hairs"; the underside is paler than the dorsal fur. The cranial width of its skull is typically less than 26 mm (1.0 in), making it small for the genus. The dental formula is 1.0.1.31.0.1.3 × 2 = 20. Each upper incisor has a longitudinal groove along its anterior surface. The total body length is 290–350 mm (11–14 in).
This species is endemic to a small region in the southern half of Mexico. Its range is in the Oriental Basin of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and is within the Mexican states of Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz. The elevation in its distribution spans 2,300–2,700 m (7,500–8,900 ft). Merriam noted the type locality as: "Chalchicomula, State of Puebla, Mexico"; this city is now known as Ciudad Serdán. The type locality for the formerly-recognized subspecies C. f. subluteus is Perote, Veracruz.
C. fulvescens' s diet consists of rhizomes, bulbs, and roots. Pregnancy has been observed from December through February. Because pregnancy was not observed in July, it is thought they only have one litter each year.
Two species of chewing lice in the genus Geomydoecus have C. fulvescens as a host: G. fulvescens and G. veracruzensis. Both species were described in 1971 by Roger D. Price and K. C. Emerson. The flea species Dasypsyllus megasoma and Meringis altipecten were also observed on C. fulvescens ; although it is thought the presence of M. altipecten is thought to have been accidental rather than due to being a typical ectoparasite for the species. The nematode species Vexillata convoluta is also a parasite of C. fulvescens.
