Relationships among Soil Texture, Burrow Depth and Diameter, and Body Mass of Baird's Pocket Gopher (Geomys breviceps)

Abstract

Baird's pocket gopher (Geomys breviceps) is a subterranean rodent native to the southern United States. Little is known about their burrow dimensions or how their burrows relate to body size and soil texture. This information is valuable since G. breviceps is the main diet item of the Louisiana pine snake (Pituophis ruthveni), recently listed federally as Threatened, and additional insight on the natural history of G. breviceps could aid in its management. The objectives of this research were to measure burrow depths, burrow diameters, and body masses of G. breviceps in Louisiana to describe them and to determine if any relationships exist between these variables and soil texture. Measurements of burrow depth and diameter and body mass of G. breviceps were collected at three sites in Louisiana along with soil samples. Burrow depth and diameter were not related to soil texture. Body mass differed significantly among the three sample sites and was positively related to burrow diameter. Further, smaller individuals were found exclusively in soils with higher percentages of sand, whereas larger individuals occurred in all soil textures.