Podomys floridanus
| Florida Deermouse
(Podomys floridanus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Tribe: | Peromyscini |
| Genus: | Podomys |
| Binomial details | |
| Podomys floridanus (F. M. Chapman, 1889) | |
Description
From Jones & Layne (1993): "The pelage is soft and silky (Bangs, 1896). Color varies among populations, but, in general, adults are brownish or brownish-gray along the dorsum and bright ochraceous on the cheeks, shoulders, and lower sides. The feet and underparts are white, although some individuals have a tawny patch on the breast (Chapman, 1894; Layne, 1966). The tail is white below and brown above, but not as sharply bicolored as in P. gossypinus or P. polionotus. The dorsum of juveniles is a clear gray and the ventral parts grayish to white (Layne, 1966). Florida mice have a distinctive skunk-like odor (Layne, 1990)."
From Best & Hunt (2020): "The Florida deermouse has broad ears and prominent eyes. Color is usually brown to brownish-gray, with yellow-orange on cheeks, shoulders, and along the sides. The underside and feet are white. Some individuals have a yellowish-brown patch on the chest. The tail is indistinctly bicolored, and its length is about 80% of length of body. Juveniles are gray on the dorsum and white on the ventrum."
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida (Alachua County) | Jones & Layne (1993) | 166–199 (n=60) | 70–87 (n=60) | 21.5–25.0 (n=60) | 18–23 (n=60) | 20.3–31.7 (n=60) |
| Florida (Highlands, Levy, Putnam Counties) | Jones & Layne (1993) | 178–220 (n=30) | 80–101 (n=30) | 24–28 (n=30) | 16–21.5 (n=30) | 27.0–47.0 (n=60 from Levy County) |
Skull
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Dorsal view of the skull of Podomys floridanus. -
Ventral view of the skull of Podomys floridanus. -
lateral view of the skull of Podomys floridanus. -
Upper incisors of the skull of Podomys floridanus.
Similar species
From Best & Hunt (2020): "Florida deermice are somewhat similar in appearance to other deermice, but they can be distinguished from other species within their range by their larger size and color, and they usually have five plantar tubercules on soles of the feet, rather than six. Florida deermice also have a skunk-like smell."
References
Bangs O. 1896. The cotton mouse, Peromyscus gossypinus. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 10:119-125.
Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
Chapman FM. 1889. Preliminary descriptions of two apparently new species of the genus Hesperomys from Florida. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2:117.
Jones CA, Layne JN. 1993. Podomys floridanus. Mammalian Species (427): 1-5.
Layne JN. 1966. Postnatal development and growth of Peromyscus floridanus. Growth 30:23-45.
Layne JN. 1990. The Florida mouse. Pp. 1-21, in Burrow associates of the gopher tortoise (C. K. Dodd, Jr., R. E. Ashton, Jr., R. Franz, and E. Wester, eds.). Eighth Annual Meeting, Gopher Tortoise Council, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, 134 pp.