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Peromyscus polionotus

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Oldfield Deermouse
(Peromyscus polionotus)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Myomorphi
Superfamily:Muroidea
Family:Cricetidae
Subfamily:Neotominae
Tribe:Peromyscini
Genus:Peromyscus
Binomial details
Peromyscus polionotus (J. A. Wagner, 1843)

Description

From Best & Hunt (2020): "This is a small deermouse with a relatively short tail that is usually 55–65% of the length of head and body combined. Color is variable and is usually similar to that of the substrate. Individuals in fields or woods are pale brown or brownish-gray with a slightly darker mid-dorsal band and individiuals from populations near the coast (often referred to as beach mice) are paler and may be nearly white. Underparts and feet are white. The tail is bicolored (or white in some beach mice)."

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
Alabama Best & Dusi (2014) 118 (109–132) (n=25) 45 (32–54) (n=25) 17 (15–20) (n=25) 14 (10–15) (n=25) 13.0 (10.1–17.6) (n=12)
Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland Webster et al. (1985) 122–134 40–52 14–18


Color variation

Peromyscus polionotus shows wide variation in color of pelage across its geographic range.

From Kaufman (1974): "Dark brown forms and paler brown forms are characteristic of northern-inland populations and southern-mainland populations, respectively, whereas beach forms exhibit the palest pelage colors. An exception to this pattern of distribution is the presence of a light brown phenotype (an autosomal recessive trait; Dawson et al., 1969) as well as the normal dark brown phenotype of P. polionotus found on the Atomic Energy Commission's Savannah River Plant in South Carolina."

Skull

  • Dorsal view of the skull of Peromyscus polionotus'.
  • Ventral view of the skull of Peromyscus polionotus.
  • Lateral view of the skull of Peromyscus polionotus'.
  • Dorsal view of the lower jaw of Peromyscus polionotus'.
  • Upper incisors of Peromyscus polionotus'.

Similar species

From Best & Hunt (2020): "Harvest mice (Reithrodontomys) have grooved upper incisors and are about the same size as oldfield deermice, but oldfield deermice do not not have grooved upper incisors."

  • The upper incisors of Peromyscus polionotus are smooth and lack grooves.
  • Skull of the Fulvous Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys fulvescens) showing grooved upper incisors, which is characteristic of the genus.

References

Best TL, Dusi JL. 2014. Mammals of Alabama (Vol. 4). Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.

Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.

Dawson WD, Smith MH, Carmon JL. 1969. A third independent occurrence of the brown mutant in Peromyscus. Journal of Heredity 60:286-28.

Kaufman DW. 1974. Adaptive coloration in Peromyscus polionotus: experimental selection by owls. Journal of Mammalogy 55(2): 271-283.

Wagner JA. 1843. Bericht über die Leistungen in der Naturgeschichte der Säugthiere während des Jahres 1842. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 9(2):1-67.

Webster WD, Parnell JF, Biggs WC. 1985. Mammals of the Carolinas, Virginia, and Maryland. Chapel Hill (NC, USA): University of North Carolina Press.

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