Neotoma lepida
Desert Woodrat
(Neotoma lepida) | |
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Range | |
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Taxonomic classification | |
Order: | Rodentia |
Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
Superfamily: | Muroidea |
Family: | Cricetidae |
Subfamily: | Neotominae |
Tribe: | Neotomini |
Genus: | Neotoma |
Subgenus: | Neotoma (subgenus) |
Binomial details | |
Neotoma lepida O. Thomas, 1893 |
Description
From Patton et al. (2007): "A relatively small-bodied woodrat limited to the drier deserts of western North America, with an absolutely and proportionately short tail in comparison to N. bryanti (approximately 80% of head-and-body length [Grinnell and Swarth, 1913], with a mean of 25.3 caudal vertebrae). Same number of caudal vertebrae as N. devia, but latter has a proportionately longer tail Pelage typically long and soft; overall color tones pale, although melanism is present in many populations."
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The desert woodrat is a small yellow-buff to buffy gray woodrat. The tail is sharply bicolored and short-haired. The underparts are whitish to buff. White hairs on the chest are usually gray at their bases except for a small patch or mid-ventral strip with white base."

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 |
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Arizona (northern Coconino County) and Nevada (Kane County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 261–326 (n=35) | 108–148 (n=35) | 27–34 (n=40) | 24–33 (n=26) | |
Arizona (northern Mohave County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 267–324 (n=41) | 113–149 (n=41) | 29–33.5 (n=43) | 24–33 (n=29) | |
California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 282–305 | 113–128 | 29–34 | 23–25 | 100–190 |
California (eastern half of Riverside County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 253–334 (n=41) | 111–155 (n=41) | 27–32 (n=49) | 21–35 (n=49) | |
California (eastern San Bernardino County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 261–334 (n=71) | 110–160 (n=71) | 28–36 (n=73) | 22–33 (n=73) | |
California (Lassen County) and Nevada (central Washoe County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 273–310 (n=12) | 113–141 (n=12) | 30–34 (n=12) | 27–31 (n=6) | |
California (Modoc County) and Nevada (Humboldt County and northern Washoe County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 259–316 (n=11) | 108–138 (n=111) | 20–33 (n=14) | 26–31 (n=13) | |
California (northern and eastern Imperial County and southern San Bernardino County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 266–337 (n=62) | 112–166 (n=62) | 27–34 (n=67) | 24–35 (n=64) | |
California (southern Mono County and northern Inyo County) and Nevada (Esmeralda County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 266–315 (n=39) | 91–141 (n=39) | 29–33 (n=45) | 24–32 (n=45) | |
California (southwestern Inyo County) and Nevada (southern Nye County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 263–352 (n=73) | 106–172 (n=73) | 21–34 (n=66) | 21–35 (n=61) | |
California (western San Bernardino County, eastern Kern County, southwest Inyo County, northeast Los Angeles County)
|
Patton et al. (2007) | 255–330 (n=63) | 110–154 (n=63) | 28–34 (n=65) | 23–34 (n=45) | |
Colorado | Armstrong et al. (2010) | 266–295 | 110–126 | 31–33 | 28–30 | 100–140 |
Nevada (Lincoln County and east-central Nye County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 265–312 (n=24) | 105–142 (n=24) | 27–35 (n=24) | 24–32 (n=24) | |
Nevada (northeast Elko County) and Utah (Box Elder County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 270–327 (n=12) | 105–136 (n=12) | 30–33 (n=14) | 21–31 (n=12) | |
Nevada (northwest Nye County, southeast Churchill County, southwest Lander County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 253–320 (n=34) | 105–139 (n=34) | 28–35 (n=37) | 22–32 (n=30) | |
Nevada (Pershing County, southeast Humboldt County, and northwest Lander County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 259–314 (n=36) | 101–134 (n=36) | 24–32 (n=39) | 24–34 (n=29) | |
Nevada (vicinity of Grand, Emery, and Wayne counties) and Colorado (Rio Blanco County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 274–294 (n=13) | 111–132 (n=13) | 29–33 (n=16) | 29–33 (n=12) | |
Nevada (vicinity of Storey, Carson City, Lyon, and Douglas counties) | Patton et al. (2007) | 265–310 (n=10) | 106–141 (n=10) | 29–35 (n=11) | 24–33 (n=11) | |
Nevada (White Pine County, southeast Eureka County) and Utah (western Millard County) | Patton et al. (2007) | 264–319 (n=27) | 107–145 (n=27) | 28–33 (n=30) | 24–32 (n=30) | |
Oregon (southest) and Idaho (southwest) | Patton et al. (2007) | 272–329 (n=20) | 112–144 (n=20) | 30–35 (n=21) | 27–31 (n=9) |
Similar species
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "Small size, pale color, and generally naked soles of the hindfoot separate this species from Neotoma cinerea. From Neotoma mexicana it differs in have a much less arched skull, some hairs on the chest white to their bases, and a blunt anterior palatal spine."
For differentiating Neotoma lepida from other members of the Neotoma lepida group, see Key to the species in the desert woodrat group by Patton et al. (2007).
Skull
From Patton et al. (2007): "Skull with large auditory bullae (averaging 7.2 x 7.5 mm in length and width); elongated vomerine portion to incisive foramen septum, with corresponding short vacuity; and frontal contact with lacrimal less than half the length of the maxillary contact. Anteromedial flexus of anteroloph of M1 shallow in all by youngest aged individuals."
From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The skull is not strongly arched in the interorbital region. A maxillo-vomerine notch is present in the nasal septum. The anterior palatal spine is stout and blunt."
Glans penis
From Patton et al. (2007): "A glans penis with a greatly elongated hood with strongly reflected distal tip is shared with N. devia but distinct from those of N. bryanti and N. insularis.
References
Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.
Grinnell J, Swarth HS. 1913. An account of the birds and mammals of the San Jacinto area of southern California. University of California Publications in Zoology 10: 197-406.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Patton JL, Huckaby DG, Álvarez-Castañeda ST. 2007. The evolutionary history and a systematic revision of woodrats of the Neotoma lepida group (Vol. 135). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.