Heteromys irroratus
| Mexican Spiny Pocket Mouse
(Heteromys irroratus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Castorimorphi |
| Superfamily: | Geomyoidea |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Subfamily: | Heteromyinae |
| Genus: | Heteromys |
| Subgenus: | Liomys |
| Binomial details | |
| Heteromys irroratus J. E. Gray, 1868 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
Description
From Dowler and Genoways (1978): "Pelage is hispid, consisting of stiff spines mingled with slender soft hairs; upper parts are grayish brown; lateral stripe, which is usually present, is generally pale pink to buff; underparts are white; hairs on back do not curl upward so are not conspicuous above spines. Juvenile pelage is grayish and consists primarily of soft slender hairs."
Schmidly & Bradley (2016): "A medium-sized mouse with extremely harsh pelage over entire upperparts (the hairs flattened, sharp pointed, and grooved); external, fur-lined cheek pouches; and relatively long tail. Similar in general appearance to the spiny-haired pocket mouse (Chaetodipus spp.), but upper incisors lack the longitudinal groove on the outer face and the pelage is much more spiny and harsh. Tail about as long as head and body, sparsely haired and distinctly bicolor, brownish above, whitish below; upperparts dark gray, grizzled with orange; underparts pure white; sole of proximal half of hind foot hairy, blackish."
Museum specimens
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Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. -
Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico (Jalisco) | Dowler & Genoways (1978) | males: 216.0–262.0 (n=22); females: 207.0–251.0 (n=34) | males: 106.0–138.0 (n=22); females: 102.0–131.0 (n=34) | males: 26.0–31.0 (n=21); females: 27.0–30.0 (n=36) | ||
| not reported | Ceballos (editor, 2014) | 194–300 | 95–169 | 22–36 | 12–15 | 34–50 |
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 237 | 122 | 30 | males: 50–60; females: 35–50 |
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 58670. Heteromys irroratus texensis. Adult female. Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas. Collected 19 February 1894. Lateral view of the left mandible.
Similar species
References
Ceballos G, editor. 2014. Mammals of Mexico. Baltimore (MD, USA): Johns Hopkins University Press.
Dowler RC, Genoways HH. 1978. Liomys irroratus. Mammalian species, (82), pp.1-6.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.