Tawny deermouse

Tawny deermouse
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Cricetidae
Genus:	Peromyscus
Species group:	P. melanophrys
Species:	P. perfulvus
Binomial name
Peromyscus perfulvus Osgood, 1945
Synonyms
Peromyscus chrysopus

The tawny deermouse,^[2] or marsh mouse,^[3] (Peromyscus perfulvus) is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found only in Mexico.

Characteristics

The tawny deermouse has a typical mouse-like form, with a long hairy tail. It has reddish cinnamon fur over most of the body, and pale creamy underparts. The face is greyish with a slight ring of darker fur around the eyes, and the tail is sepia-brown in colour. It can be distinguished from its closest relatives by the length of the tail and by the presence of brownish fur on parts of the hind feet, which are pure white in other species. It ranges from 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 in) in head-body length, with a 10 to 14 centimetres (3.9 to 5.5 in) tail. Adults weigh between 30 and 42 grams (1.1 and 1.5 oz).^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The tawny deermouse is native only to a small region in western central Mexico. It is found from Jalisco in the north, along the coast to the northernmost parts of Guerrero in the south, and also inland in Michoacan and the west of the State of Mexico.^[1] It inhabits tropical deciduous forest and other dense vegetation below 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) altitude. As its alternative common name of "marsh mouse" implies, it is generally found in wet habitats, such as near lakes, streams, or man-made irrigation, and it has also been reported from tropical fruit orchards and sugar cane plantations.^[4]

Two subspecies are recognised:

• Peromyscus perfulvus perfulvus - Michoacan, State of Mexico, Guerrero
• Peromyscus perfulvus chrysopus - Jalisco, Colima

Biology

The tawny deermouse is nocturnal and solitary, and spends much of its time in trees, although it also travels along the ground. They are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, fruit, and insects.^[4] They construct spherical nests from grasses and other plant material, concealing them in trees or amongst dense undergrowth,^[5] and rarely travel far from their home, ranging over an area of no more than about 70 metres (230 ft) across.^[6] While population densities vary throughout the year, depending on the local environment, they are typically no higher than about 15 per hectare (6 per acre).^[5] Known predators include the ocelot.^[7]

Breeding occurs throughout the year, with females giving birth to up to four young after a gestation period of between 39 and 46 days. At birth, the young are hairless and blind, weighing just 2 to 3 grams (0.071 to 0.11 oz). They are weaned at about 25 days, and reach full adult size after about six or seven weeks.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Peromyscus perfulvus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.4. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2008. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/16685/0. Retrieved 28 May 2011. 
2. ^ Musser, G. G. and M. D. Carleton. 2005. Superfamily Muroidea. Pp. 894-1531 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
3. ^ Myers, P. et al.. "Animal Diversity Web". http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Peromyscus_perfulvus.html. Retrieved 28 May 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d} Sanchez-Hernandez, C. et al. (2009). "Peromyscus perfulvus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)". Mammalian Species 833: 1–8. doi:10.1644/833.1. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Ceballos, G. (1990). "Comparative natural history of small mammals from tropical forests in western Mexico". Journal of Mammalogy 71 (2): 263–266. JSTOR 1382182. 
6. ^ Schnell, G.D. et al. (2008). "Habitat preference of the endemic tawny deermouse (Peromyscus perfulvus), a species of conservation concern". Southwestern Naturalist 53 (1): 9–20. doi:10.1894/0038-4909(2008)53[9:HPOTET]2.0.CO;2. 
7. ^ de Villa Meza, A. et al. (2002). "Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) food habits in a tropical deciduous forest of Jalisco, Mexico". American Midland Naturalist 148 (1): 146–154. doi:10.1674/0003-0031(2002)148[0146:OLPFHI]2.0.CO;2.