Peromyscus pectoralis

302.

Southern White-ankled Deermouse

Peromyscus pectoralis

French: Péromyscus a chevilles blanches / German: Stdliche WeiRRfessel-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de tobillo blanco meridional

Other common names: Encinal Mouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus attwateri pectoralis Osgood, 1904, Jalpan, Querétaro, Mexico.

Peromyscus pectoralis is in the true: species group. Recent taxonomic revisions elevated subspecies laceianus to species status (P. laceranus) and led to the recognition of an additional subspecies (P. p. zimmermani). Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.p.pectoralisOsgood,1904—fromNCChihuahuaStoNJalisco,CGuanajuato,Querétaro,andWHidalgo,Mexico.

P.p.collinusHooper,1952—fromNCTamaulipasStoEHidalgo,Mexico.

P.p. zimmermani Bradley et al., 2015 — from N Coahuila S to extreme NE Jalisco and extreme NW Guanajuato, Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head—body ¢.94-99 mm, tail 81-127 mm, ear 22-26 mm, hindfoot 19-23 mm; weight 15-19 g. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse is medium-sized, with dorsum of pale ocherous buff overlaid with dusky hairs to darker brown. Venter is creamy white, and some individuals have buff pectoral spot. Hindfeet are white, with white extending above ankles. Tail generally is longer than head-body length, slightly bicolored, and scantily haired; however, it is more uniformly colored in subspecies collinus. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse is similar to the Brush Deermouse (P. boylir), but it is smaller and has white ankles.

Habitat. Semiarid regions in chaparral, pinyon-oak forest, xeric shrub, and grasslands but also tropical habitats at elevations of 100-2500 m. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse prefers rocky habitats and hillsides.

Food and Feeding. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse eats seeds, nuts, juniper berries, acorns, hackberries, cacti, prickly pear fruits, and sometimes insects.

Breeding. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse might breed year-round. Gestation is probably c.23 days, and litters have 2-7 young.

Activity patterns. The Southern White-ankled Deermouse is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Bradley, Durish et al. (2007), Bradley, Schmidly et al. (2015), Musser & Carleton (2005), Oliva (2014), Schmidly (1974b).