A New Subspecies of Pocket Mouse from Kansas

A slender volume that captures a moment of discovery in the American West. In 1954, mammalogist E. Raymond Hall documents the identification of Perognathus flavescens cockrumi, a newly recognized subspecies of pocket mouse dwelling in the sandhill prairies of south-central Kansas and adjacent Oklahoma. Through careful measurement and comparison of specimens, Hall distinguishes this small, tawny rodent from its relatives by subtle variations in skull structure, fur coloration, and geographic range. The work serves dual purposes: rigorous scientific taxonomy and quiet tribute to Dr. E. Lendell Cockrum, whose field research in Kansas made such discoveries possible. For readers drawn to the history of science, natural history, or the patient art of classification, this monograph offers a window into how scientists trace the invisible boundaries that divide one population from another. It endures as a small but precise contribution to our understanding of mammalian biodiversity in the Great Plains.