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Chaetodipus formosus

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Long-tailed Pocket Mouse
(Chaetodipus formosus)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Castorimorphi
Family:Heteromyidae
Subfamily:Perognathinae
Genus:Chaetodipus
Binomial details
Chaetodipus formosus (Merriam, 1889)

Description

From Ceballos (ed., 2014): "Chaetodipus formosus is medium in size. Its pelage is smooth, sepia in color with gray hair on the back, and the underside and legs are white. The tail is long; it is buffy on the ventral surface, it has a crest of hair, and it ends with a darker tuft than the rest of the pelage. Ears are blackish with a tuft of black and white hairs on the bases. The subauricular spot is small."

From Hoffmeister (1986): "A medium-sized, long and bushy-tailed species..."

From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "A rather large, dark pocket mouse with a bicolored tail, conspicuously tufted at the tip."

Chaetodipus formosus observed by Alvaro Monter in Baja California, Mexico.

External measurements

Length measurements are in millimeters (mm) and weight measurements are in grams (g), unless stated otherwise. If available, the sample size (n=) is provided. If a range is not provided and n= is not given, then the listed measurement represents an average.

Part of range Reference Total length Tail length Hindfoot length Ear length Mass
Arizona (Coconino County, Houserock Valley, Marble Canyon) Hoffmeister (1986) body length: 72–91 (n=24) 95–112 (n=24) 23–25 (n=24)
Arizona (Mohave County, lower end of Toroweap Valley) Hoffmeister (1986) body length: 75–89 (n=19) 94–111 (n=19) 23–26 (n=19)
Arizona (Mohave County, vicinity of Pakoon Springs) Hoffmeister (1986) body length: 78–92 (n=15) 98–112 (n=15) 22–26 (n=15)
California Jameson & Peeters (2004) 172–211 86–118 22–26 19–25
not reported Ceballos (editor, 2014) 104 118 25 5–8 18
Utah & Arizona (vicinity of St. George) Hoffmeister (1986) body length: 75–93 (n=29) 96–125 (n=29) 21–26 (n=29)


Skull

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Similar species

Species Size Pelage appearance Postauricular patch Subaruicular spot Antitragus Tail bicolored Tail crest Tail tuft Rump spines Lateral lines Lateral line color
Chaetodipus californicus medium to large coarse absent absent lobed distinctly present present present (and on flanks) present orangish-yellow
Chaetodipus formosus medium smooth absent present lobed distinctly or indistinctly present present absent absent -
Chaetodipus penicillatus medium smooth to coarse present; faint absent lobed distinctly present present absent faint or absent buff
Chaetodipus rudinoris large smooth absent when present, it is small lobed indistinctly present present absent present ochraceous
Chaetodipus spinatus medium to medium-large coarse absent preset lobed distinctly present present present faint or absent buff
Perognathus alticola medium smooth present; faint present; small lobed distinctly present absent absent faint
Perognathus longimembris small smooth present; faint when present, it is faint absent distinctly or indistinctly absent present absent absent or faint
Perognathus mollipilosus medium smooth present present lobed distinctly present; slightly crested absent absent present; faint olive colored or ochraceous

References

Ceballos G, editor. 2014. Mammals of Mexico. Baltimore (MD, USA): Johns Hopkins University Press.

Hoffmeister DF. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. Tucson (AZ, USA): University of Arizona Press.

Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.

Merriam CH. 1889. Revision of the North American pocket mice. North American Fauna 1:1-29.

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