Peromyscus guardia, Townsend, 1912

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 : 379-380

255.

La Guarda Deermouse

Peromyscus guardia

French: Péromyscus d’Angel de la Guarda / German: Guarda-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de La Guarda

Other common names: Angel Island Mouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus guardia Townsend, 1912 , Angel de la Guarda Island, 29° 33’ N, 113° 35° W, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

Peromyscus guardia is in the eremicus species group. Peromyscus interparietalis historically was considered a subspecies of P. guardia . Two subspecies, harbisoni named by R. C. Banks in 1967 and known only from Granite Island and mejiae by W. H. Burt in 1932 from Mejia Island, are extinct. One extant subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P. g. guardia Townsend, 1912 — Angel de la Guarda I and nearby Estanque I, Baja California , Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head—body ¢.96-100 mm, tail 93-123 mm, ear 20-23 mm, hindfoot 23-25 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The La Guarda Deermouse is small and morphologically very similar to the Cactus Deermouse (PF. eremicus ). Dorsum is gray-brown, and venter is whitish. Tail is slightly bicolored and scantily haired. Ears are relatively large and nearly naked. Skull is very arched, rostrum is long, and auditory bullae are large.

Habitat. Xeric scrublands near beaches, rocky beaches, and brushy sand flats at very low elevations.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. [La Guarda Deermice reproduce in spring.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red Last. Recent efforts to capture La Guarda Deermice led to conclusion that two of the three subspecies (harbisoni and mejiae) are extinct and that nominate guardia may be close to extinction.

Bibliography. Alvarez-Castaneda & Cortés-Calva (1999), Alvarez-Castafieda & Ortega-Rubio (2003), Banks (1967), Brand & Ryckman (1968), Burt (1932), Hall (1981), Lawlor (1971a), Lépez-Forment et al. (1996), Mellink (1992), Mellink & Luévano (2014e), Mellink et al. (2002), Musser & Carleton (2005), Rios & Alvarez-Castaneda (2011), Townsend (1912).

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)

Subspecies and Distribution. P. g. guardia Townsend, 1912 — Angel de la Guarda I and nearby Estanque I, Baja California , Mexico.