Reithrodontomys fulvescens
| Fulvous Harvest Mouse
(Reithrodontomys fulvescens) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Tribe: | Reithrodontomyini |
| Genus: | Reithrodontomys |
| Subgenus: | Reithrodontomys (subgenus) |
| Binomial details | |
| Reithrodontomys fulvescens J. A. Allen, 1894 | |
Description
From Schmidly & Bradley (2016): "A small mouse with grooved upper incisors, tail much longer than head and body, and inside of ears covered with reddish hairs; differs from the pocket mice (Perognathus and Chaetodipus), which also have grooved upper incisors and long tail, in the absence of external cheek pouches. Upperparts ochraceous buff, sparingly mixed with blackish brown, sides nearly clear buff; underparts white or pale buff."
From Best & Hunt (2020): "This is a small mouse that is yellowish-brown dorsally with a mid-dorsal band of mixed black and brown hairs, and deeply grooved upper incisors. The ventrum is grayish-white with a tan tint. Sides and ears are reddish-yellow or orangish. Feet are white, grayish, or tan. Pelage of juveniles is darker and duller than that of adults. The tail is 10–50% longer than the length of head and body combined and is indistinctly bicolored."
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 (vicinity Nogales, Santa Cruz Co.) | Hoffmeister (1986) | 135–175 (n=49) | 73–105 (n=49) | 18–22 (n=49) | 13–15 (n=49) | |
| not reported | Ceballos (editor, 2014) | 134–200 | 72–116 | 16–22 | 11–17 | 8–12 |
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 165 | 93 | 20 | 18 (14–30) |
Skull
The upper incisors of Reithrodontomys are longitudinally grooved, unlike in members of the superficially similar Peromyscus and Mus musculus.
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Dorsal view of the skull of Reithrodontomys fulvescens -
Skull of Reithrodontomys fulvescens showing grooved upper incisors, which is characteristic of the genus -
Ventral view of skull of Reithrodontomys fulvescens
Similar species
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Reithrodontomys fulvescens -
Eastern Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys humulis) -
Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis) -
Plains Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys montanus)
References
Allen JA. 1894. Descriptions of ten new North American mammals, and remarks on others. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 6, 319.
Best TL, Hunt JL. 2020. Mammals of the southeastern United States. Tuscaloosa (AL, USA): University Alabama Press.
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.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.