Peromyscus mekisturus, Merriam, 1898

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Cricetidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 204-535 : 384

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6707142
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6707522
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F06D13-FFC4-200D-0884-17D1018FF75B
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Peromyscus mekisturus
status

Treatment

270. View Plate 17: Cricetidae

Puebla Deermouse

Peromyscus mekisturus View in CoL

French: Péromyscus du Puebla / German: Puebla-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de Puebla

Taxonomy. Peromyscus mekisturus Merriam, 1898 View in CoL , Chalchicomula, 8400 ft (= 2560 m), Puebla, Mexico.

Peromyscus mekisturus is in the melanophrys species group. Recent molecular data questions whether P. mekisturus is a valid taxon or a subspecies of P. melanophrys . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from Chalchicomula (= Ciudad Serdan) and Tehuacan in SE Puebla, Mexico. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 87-94 mm, tail 135-155 mm, ear 17-19 mm, hindfoot 22-24 m; weight 25-58 g. The Puebla Deermouse is similar in morphology to the Plateau Deermouse (FP. melanophrys ), except that the Puebla Deermouse has an extraordinarily long (c.160% of head—body length) and bicolored tail (dark and light below). Dorsum of the Puebla Deermouse is ocherous buffy to tawny, sprinkled with dusky hairs. Venter is creamy white, with plumbeous bases of hairs. It lacks darker dorsal line and longitudinal line. Nose is gray, eyes are ringed with black, and ears are large. Forefeet are white, and upper two-thirds of metatarsals are dark, but distal parts are white; feet are of averagesize.

Habitat. Pine-oak forests at elevations of 1700-2545 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Puebla Deermouse is presumably nocturnal, and given its exceptionally long tail, it is probably arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Castaneda-Rico et al. (2014), Castro-Campillo, Martinez-Paz & Ramirez-Pulido (2014), Goldman (1951), Hall (1981), Hooper (1947), Merriam (1898), Musser & Carleton (2005), Osgood (1909).

Figures

245. Hooper's Deermouse (Peromyscus hooper), 246. Canyon Deermouse (Peromyscus crinitus), 247. California Deermouse (Peromyscus californicus), 248. Merriam’s Deermouse (Peromyscus merriami), 249. Cactus Deermouse (Peromyscus eremicus), 250. San Lorenzo Deermouse (Peromyscus interparietalis), 251. Southern Baja Deermouse (Peromyscus eva), 252. Northern Baja Deermouse (Peromyscus fraterculus), 253. Monserrat Island Deermouse (Peromyscus caniceps), 254. Dickey’s Deermouse (Peromyscus dickeyi), 255. La Guarda Deermouse (Peromyscus guardia), 256. Coronados Deermouse (Peromyscus pseudocrinitus), 257. Cotton Deermouse (Peromyscus gossypinus), 258. White-footed Deermouse (Peromyscus leucopus), 259. Santa Cruz Deermouse (Peromyscus sejugis), 260. North-western Deermouse (Peromyscus keeni), 261. Oldfield Deermouse (Peromyscus polionotus), 262. North American Deermouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), 264. Black-tailed Deermouse (Peromyscus melanurus), 265. Broad-faced Deermouse (Peromyscus megalops), 266. Black-wristed Deermouse (Peromyscus melanocarpus), 267. Catalina Deermouse (Peromyscus slevini), 268. Tawny Deermouse (Peromyscus perfulvus), 269. Plateau Deermouse (Peromyscus melanophrys), 270. Puebla Deermouse (Peromyscus mekisturus), 271. Mayan Deermouse (Peromyscus mayensis), 272. Stirton’s Deermouse (Peromyscus stirtoni), 273. Yucatan Deermouse (Peromyscus yucatanicus), 274. Chimoxan Deermouse (Peromyscus tropicalis), 275. Talamancan Deermouse (Peromyscus nudipes), 276. Mexican Deermouse (Peromyscus mexicanus), 277. Naked-eared Deermouse (Peromyscus gymnotis), 278. Chiapan Deermouse (Peromyscus zarhynchus), 279. Gardner’s Deermouse (Peromyscus gardneri), 280. Nicaraguan Deermouse (Peromyscus nicaraguae), 281. Salvadorean Deermouse (Peromyscus salvadorensis), 282. Guatemalan Deermouse (Peromyscus guatemalensis), 283. Large Deermouse (Peromyscus grandis)