Zapus

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Zapus
Temporal range: Early Pliocene to Recent
Zapus hudsonius.jpg
Zapus hudsonius preblei
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Zapodidae
Genus: Zapus
Coues, 1875
Type species
Dipus hudsonius
Species

Zapus hudsonius
Zapus luteus
Zapus montanus
Zapus oregonus
Zapus pacificus
Zapus princeps
Zapus saltator
Zapus trinotatus

Contents

Zapus is a genus of North American jumping mouse. It is the only genus whose members have the dental formula 1.0.1.31.0.0.3. Zapus are the only extant mammals aside from the Aye-aye with a total of 18 teeth. [1]

This genus was first separated from Old World jerboas by Coues in 1875. Members of this genus are very similar in appearance, all species having long tails, long hind feet and yellowish-brown pelage above and white below, the colors distinctly separated by a yellowish-orange lateral line.

Taxonomy

The genus contains eight extant species. At least some of these subspecies designations are thought to be tenuous: [2] [3]

The Okanogan Valley jumping mouse (Zapus okanoganensis), which is restricted to the Okanogan Valley and the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range, was described in 2017. [3] Although it is definitely thought to be a distinct species, it has not yet been properly published and is thus considered a nomen nudum , and is tentatively classified in Z. saltator until that happens. [2] A number of fossil species are also known, with the oldest being Zapus rinkeri from the Blancan of Kansas. [4]

The Linux distribution Ubuntu named its version 17.04 after the small creature, giving it the codename Zesty Zapus. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zapodidae</span> Family of rodents

Zapodidae, the jumping mice, is a family of mouse-like rodents in North America and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dipodoidea</span> Family of rodents

Dipodoidea is a superfamily of rodents, also known as dipodoids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. This superfamily includes over 50 species among the 16 genera in 3 families. They include the jerboas, jumping mice, and birch mice. Different species are found in grassland, deserts, and forests. They are all capable of saltation, a feature that is most highly evolved in the desert-dwelling jerboas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Preble's meadow jumping mouse</span> Subspecies of mammal

Preble's meadow jumping mouse is a subspecies of meadow jumping mouse, endemic to the upland habitats of Colorado and Wyoming in North America. It is found nowhere else in the world. It is listed as Threatened under the United States Endangered Species Act; there is a major debate about whether it is a valid taxon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodland jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The woodland jumping mouse is a species of jumping mouse found in North America. It can jump up to 3 m (9.8 ft) using its extremely strong feet and long tail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadow jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The meadow jumping mouse is the most widely distributed mouse in the family Zapodidae. Its range extends from the Atlantic coast in the east to the Great Plains west, and from the arctic tree lines in Canada and Alaska to the north, and Georgia, Alabama, Arizona, and New Mexico to the south. In mid-2014, the New Mexico subspecies of the meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius luteus, was listed as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The western jumping mouse, is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. It is found in Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific jumping mouse</span> Species of rodent

The Pacific jumping mouse is a species of rodent in the family Zapodidae. Found in Canada and the United States, its natural habitats are temperate grassland and swamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small mammals of Yellowstone National Park</span>

There are at least 50 small mammal species known to occur in Yellowstone National Park.

Listrophorus is a genus of parasitic mites in the family Listrophoridae. North American species with their hosts include:

References

  1. Schwartz, C. W., E. R. Schwartz. 2001. The wild mammals of Missouri. University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri, USA. pp. 262–267
  2. 1 2 Database, Mammal Diversity (2021-08-10), Mammal Diversity Database , retrieved 21 May 2022
  3. 1 2 Malaney, Jason L.; Demboski, John R.; Cook, Joseph A. (2017-09-01). "Integrative species delimitation of the widespread North American jumping mice (Zapodinae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 114: 137–152. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.06.001 . ISSN   1055-7903. PMID   28600183.
  4. Hart, E.B.; et al. (2004). "Zapus princeps". Mammalian Species. 749: Number 749: pp. 1–7. doi: 10.1644/749 . S2CID   19553066.
  5. Shuttleworth, Mark. "The mouse that jumped". Mark Shuttleworth. Retrieved 11 January 2021.