Neofiber alleni
| Round-tailed Muskrat
(Neofiber alleni) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Arvicolinae |
| Tribe: | Ondatrini |
| Genus: | Neofiber |
| Binomial details | |
| Neofiber alleni F. W. True, 1884 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Round-tailed Muskrat (Neofiber alleni) is a semiaquatic rodent found in the southeastern United States.
Description
From Birkenholz (1972): "The underfur is dense, gray at the base to rich brown at tip on back and pale buff on belly. Guard hairs are dark brown and glossy. Hind feet are larger than front feet. The pelage of juveniles is lax, soft, and lead-gray in color. Adult males do not differ significantly in size from females but are slightly heavier. Tail long, but teret."
Museum specimens
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Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. -
Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rangewide | Birkenholz (1972) | 285–381 | 99–168 | 40–50 | 15–22 | males: 187–350 (n=108); females: 192–357 (n=94) |
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 14065/21948. Neofiber alleni alleni. Adult male. Georgiana, Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida. Date collected unknown. Lateral view of the left mandible.
Similar species
From Birkenholz (1972): "skull similar to that of Ondatra but smaller, condylobasal length 41 to 51 mm, zygomatic width 25 to 31 mm; postorbital process shelflike and nearly right-angled as in Ondatra, temporal ridges are more widely separated, in intertemporal portions of the parietal and interparietal being relatively broad; temporal ridges widely separated on braincase but tending to fuse in interorbital regions of large specimens; pterygoids, choanae, and auditory bullae as in Ondatra; molars resemble those of Ondatra, m1 with five closed triangles between anterior and m3 with one outer fold, M3 with two transverse loops and two median triangles, lower incisors passing between bases of m2 and m3 and ascending behind molars to terminate within or near condylar process; fur, ears, and eyes resemble those of Ondatra but guard hairs produce tuft above tail, stiffened fringe hairs present on margins of hind feet but less developed than in Ondatra; tail long, but terete and sparsely haired (True, 1885; Bailey, 1900; Hinton, 1926; Ellerman, 1941; and Hall and Cockrum, 1953)."
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Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) observed by maticus in Davis County, Utah.
References
Bailey V. 1900. Revision of American voles of the genus Microtus. North American Fauna 17:1-88.
Birkenholz DE. 1972. Neofiber alleni. Mammalian Species (15):1-4. https://doi.org/10.2307/3503816
Hall ER, Cockrum EL. 1953. A synopsis of the North American microtine rodents. Univ. Kansas Publ., Nat. Hist. Mus. 5.
Hinton MAC. 1926. Monograph of the voles & lemmings (Microtinae) living and extinct (Vol. 1). Order of the Trustees of the British museum.
True FW. 1885. The Florida muskrat (Neofiber alleni True). Rept. U. S. Nat. Mus., pp. 325-33