| Tawny deer mouse | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Species: | P. perfulvus |
| Binomial name | |
| Peromyscus perfulvus Osgood, 1945 | |
| Synonyms | |
Peromyscus chrysopus | |
The tawny deer mouse [2] or marsh mouse [3] (Peromyscus perfulvus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico.
The tawny deer mouse has a typical mouse-like form, with a long, hairy tail. It has reddish-cinnamon fur over most of its body, and pale creamy underparts. The face is greyish with a slight ring of darker fur around the eyes, and the tail is sepia-brown in colour. It can be distinguished from its closest relatives by the length of the tail and by the presence of brownish fur on parts of the hind feet, which are pure white in other species. It ranges from 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in head-body length, with a 10-to-14 cm (3.9-to-5.5 in) tail. Adults weigh between 30 and 42 g (1.1 and 1.5 oz). [4]
The tawny deer mouse is native only to a small region in west-central Mexico. It is found from Jalisco in the north, along the coast to the northernmost parts of Guerrero in the south, and also inland in Michoacán and the west of the State of Mexico. [1] It inhabits tropical deciduous forests and other dense vegetation below 1,300 m (4,300 ft) altitude. As its alternative common name of "marsh mouse" implies, it is generally found in wet habitats, such as near lakes, streams, or man-made irrigation, and it has also been reported from tropical fruit orchards and sugar cane plantations. [4]
Two subspecies are recognised:
Tawny deer mice are nocturnal and solitary, and spend much of their time in trees, although they also travel along the ground. They are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, fruit, and insects. [4] They construct spherical nests from grasses and other plant materials, concealing them in trees or amongst dense undergrowth, [5] and rarely travel far from their homes, ranging over an area of no more than about 70 m (230 ft) across. [6] While population densities vary throughout the year, depending on the local environment, they are typically no higher than about 15/ha (6/acre). [5] Known predators include the ocelot. [7]
Breeding occurs throughout the year, with females giving birth to up to four young after a gestation period of between 39 and 46 days. At birth, the young are hairless and blind, weighing just 2 to 3 g (0.071 to 0.106 oz). They are weaned at about 25 days, and reach full adult size after about six or seven weeks. [4]
Peromyscus is a genus of rodents. They are commonly referred to as deer mice or deermice, not to be confused with the chevrotain or "mouse deer". They are New World mice only distantly related to the common house and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus. From this relative, Peromyscus species are distinguished by relatively larger eyes, and also often two-tone coloring, with darker colors over the dorsum (back), and white abdominal and limb hair-coloring. In reference to the coloring, the word Peromyscus comes from Greek words meaning "booted mouse". They are also accomplished jumpers and runners by comparison to house mice, and their common name of "deer mouse" is in reference to this agility.
Schmidly's deer mouse, is a recently described species of deer mouse from the mountains of western Mexico. It is part of the highly complex and well-studied Peromyscus boylii species complex. The uniqueness of Peromyscus from this area had long been suspected, but was only formalized in 2004 with the publication of its species description. The species was named in honor of David J. Schmidly, a mammalogist and former president of the University of New Mexico.
The Neotominae are a subfamily of the family Cricetidae. They consist of four tribes, 16 genera, and many species of New World rats and mice, predominantly found in North America. Among them are the well-known deer mice, white-footed mice, packrats, and grasshopper mice.
Sumichrast's vesper rat is a rodent of the family Cricetidae found from southern Mexico to Panama. It is named for François Sumichrast, the collector of the first specimen, and its closest relative is probably Hatt's vesper rat, a similar, but slightly smaller, species from the Yucatán Peninsula.
The Aztec mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to southern Mexico and parts of Central America.
The Perote mouse, or Perote deer mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico.
The Zacatecan deer mouse or southern rock mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico, and is not considered endangered.
The blackish deer mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found only in Mexico, and is relatively poorly studied.
The Angel Island mouse, or La Guarda deermouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
Hooper's mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is the only member of the Peromyscus hooperi species group, and is found only in Mexico. The species is named for Emmett Hooper, a researcher into the taxonomy of the genus Peromyscus.
The nimble-footed mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico.
The Tres Marías island mouse or Tres Marías deer mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only on the Islas Marías off the west coast of Mexico. When last assessed, it was common on María Cleofás Island, but rare or absent on the other, more disturbed, islands.
The black-eared mouse, or black-eared deer mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to North America.
The Mexican deer mouse is a species of forest-dwelling rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found in southern Mexico and throughout much of Central America.
The Nayarit mouse or Sinaloan deer mouse is a species of cricetid rodent endemic to Mexico. It was considered a subspecies of brush mouse until 1977.
Winkelmann's mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae found only in Mexico, and is named for John R. Winkelmann, who collected the first specimens.
The Magdalena rat is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae which is found only in a small region of western Mexico.
The grayish or gray mouse opossum is a diminutive species of opossum in the family Didelphidae, endemic to Mexico. It is the sole species of its monotypic genus, Tlacuatzin.
Kilpatrick's deer mouse is a small species of rodent in the family Cricetidae, native to mountainous regions of Michoacán, Mexico. It is found in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt pine–oak forests in mesic forest habitats dominated by pine and oak at elevations above 1,600 meters. The species can be found in micro-habitats associated with rocky outcrops and fallen trees. The species is named after Dr. C. William Kilpatrick, curator of vertebrates at the University of Vermont Natural History Museum. The holotype of this species is part of the Natural Science Research Laboratory collections at the Museum of Texas Tech University.
