Aplodontia rufa
| Mountain Beaver
(Aplodontia rufa) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Sciuromorpha |
| Family: | Aplodontiidae |
| Subfamily: | Aplodontiinae |
| Genus: | Aplodontia |
| Binomial details | |
| Aplodontia rufa (Rafinesque, 1817) | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Mountain Beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is a small, compact rodent found in the moist, temperate forests of Washington, California, Oregon, western Nevada, and Bristish Columbia. The common name is misleading as it is not closely related to North American or Eurasian beavers, but instead more closely related to members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae).
Description
From Carraway and Verts (1993): "The mountain beaver has the general appearance of a medium-sized muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) except the tail is well furred and exceedingly short. Other characteristics of the species include a pelage uniformily dark brown except for a white spot below each ear."
Museum specimens
-
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. -
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 300–465 | 20–35 | 32–60 | 15–20 | 0.8–1.0 kg |
| Oregon (Coast Range) | Verts & Carraway (1998) | 205–445 (n=71) | 6–57 (n=71) | 43–59 (n=71) | 12–28 (n=71) | 400–1,120 (n=71) |
| Oregon (west slope Cascade Range) | Verts & Carraway (1998) | 316–385 (n=33) | 17–52 (n=33) | 49–63 (n=33) | 22–31 (n=33) | 780–1,290 (females, n=21) |
| rangewide | Naughton (2012) | 260–470 | 17–47 | 48–68 | 16–22 | 670–1300 |
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 89549. Aplodontia rufa rufa. Young adult male. Queniult (Quinault) Lake, Olympic Mountains, Grays Harbor County, Washington. Collected 24 July 1897. Lateral view of the left mandible.
References
Carraway LN, Verts BJ. 1993. Aplodontia rufa. Mammalian Species (431):1-10.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Naughton D. 2012. The natural history of Canadian mammals. Toronto (ON, CA): University of Toronto Press.
Verts BJ, Carraway LN. 1998. Land mammals of Oregon. Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.