Distribution and Habitat Attributes of an Endemic Subspecies of Pocket Gopher

Abstract

Abstract Ozark pocket gophers, Geomys bursarius ozarkensis, are endemic to Izard County, Arkansas with a distribution of ∼2300 km2. Limited data exists on this subspecies; thus, we collected vegetation and soil habitat data within the current range. Pocket gophers were present in 11 named soil types with loamy sand being the most common texture. No statistical significance was found between pocket gopher density and several soil parameters. We documented pocket gophers predominantly occurring in grazing land, hay fields and lawns. Twenty-one families of vegetation were recorded from samples collected from pocket gopher habitat.