Oryzomys couesi Alston 1876

Oryzomys couesi Alston 1876, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1876: 756.

Type Locality: Guatemala, Alta Verapaz Dept., Cobán.

Vernacular Names: Coues' Oryzomys.

Synonyms: Oryzomys albiventer Merriam 1901; Oryzomys antillarum Thomas 1898; Oryzomys apatelius Elliot 1904; Oryzomys aquaticus J. A. Allen 1891; Oryzomys aztecus Merriam 1901; Oryzomys azuerensis Bole 1937; Oryzomys bulleri J. A. Allen 1897; Oryzomys cozumelae Merriam 1901; Oryzomys crinitus Merriam 1901; Oryzomys fulgens Thomas 1893; Oryzomys gatunensis Goldman 1912; Oryzomys goldmani Merriam 1901; Oryzomys jalapae J. A. Allen and Chapman 1897; Oryzomys lambi Burt 1934; Oryzomys mexicanus J. A. Allen 1897; Oryzomys molestus Elliot 1903; Oryzomys peninsulae Thomas 1897; Oryzomys peragrus Merriam 1901; Oryzomys pinicola A. Murie 1932; Oryzomys regillus Goldman 1915; Oryzomys richardsoni J. A. Allen 1910; Oryzomys richmondi Merriam 1901; Oryzomys rufinus Merriam 1901; Oryzomys rufus Merriam 1901; Oryzomys teapensis Merriam 1901; Oryzomys zygomaticus Merriam 1901 .

Distribution: Extreme S Texas, USA; México, excluding NC plateau region, south through most of Central America (see Platt et al., 2000, for Belize records), to NW Colombia (see Hershkovitz, 1987); including Jamaica, Isla Cozumel, and allopatric populations in S Baja California Sur ( peninsulae) and WC Sonora ( lambi).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion: Retained as a species by Goldman (1918) until Hall (1960) considered it only subspecifically distinct from O. palustris . Benson and Gehlbach (1979) returned O. couesi to specific status based on morphological contrasts with O. p. texensis in supposed area of intergradation; protein electrophoresis corroborates their lack of hybridization and genetic distinctiveness in sympatry (Schmidt and Engstrom, 1994). Karyotype reported by Benson and Gehlbach (1979) and Haiduk et al. (1979); morphometric comparisons with O. palustris by Humphrey and Setzer (1989). Alvarez-Castañeda (1994) discussed the indigenous status and possible extinction of the population ( peninsulae) isolated near the tip of Baja California.

Following Hall’s (1960) example, other insular or localized subspecies—namely, antillarum, azuerensis, cozumelae, fulgens, gatunensis, and peninsulae (see Handley, 1966 a; Hershkovitz, 1971; Jones and Lawlor, 1965)—were swept under O. palustris; they are here included in O. couesi because of geographic proximity. A composite of at least three species, the Mesoamerican populations referred to " couesi," as well as O. dimidiatus and O. gorgasi, should be critically reviewed (also see Sánchez et al., 2001).