Jump to content

Perognathus flavescens

From WhiskerWiki

Plains Pocket Mouse
(Perognathus flavescens)
Range
Taxonomic classification
Order:Rodentia
Suborder:Supramyomorpha
Infraorder:Castorimorphi
Superfamily:Geomyoidea
Family:Heteromyidae
Subfamily:Perognathinae
Genus:Perognathus
Subgenus:Perognathus (subgenus)
Binomial details
Perognathus flavescens C. H. Merriam, 1889
Other resources
Full taxonomic details at MDD

The Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens) is a small pocket mouse that, according to Wilson et al. (2016), "inhabits sand dunes and stabilized sandy soils with a sparse vegetative cover and occasionally reported from rocky, brushy slopes."

Description

From Monk & Jones (1996): Perognathus flavescens is among the small to medium sized species of Perognathus. Races on the Great Plains are generally smaller than those of intermountain areas at similar latitudes. The ears are relatively small and the postauricular patches are smaller and less conspicuous than in some congeners (P. flavus, for example). The tail is relatively short (<100% length of head and body) and nonpenicillate (Williams, 1978, and citations therein). Pelage is soft, not spiny. There is considerable geographic variation in pelage color; several subspecies are based on such variation (Williams, 1978). In general, however, dorsal color ranges from dark ochraceous buff heavily suffused with blackish hairs to pale ochraceous lightly mixed with dusky hairs. The lateral line is dark ochraceous to pale yellowish; the undersides are white except that they are the same color as the lateral line, or nearly so, in dark-colored northeastern races (cockrumi and perniger). The tail is slightly darker above than ventrally. Mice from the White Sands area of New Mexico are nearly white to almost yellowish in dorsal color (Benson, 1933)."

From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The plains pocket mouse is pale buff to yellowish or reddish, with a variable dorsal wash of black hairs. The lateral line of buffy orange is generally less striking and the dorsal color usually is not as dark as that of the olive-backed pocket mouse. A buffy postauricular patch is often present. This patch is never as large as in the silky pocket mouse, and the hair is coarser."

Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens). Adult male. San Juan County, Utah. Collected 20 April 2023.
Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens). Adult male. San Juan County, Utah. Collected 20 April 2023.
Plains Pocket Mouse (Perognathus flavescens). Adult male. San Juan County, Utah. Collected 20 April 2023.

Subspecies and type specimens

Distribution of Perognathus flavescens subspecies; 1, P. f. apache; 2, P. f. caryi; 3, P. f. cockrumi; 4, P. f. copei; 5, P. f. flavescens; 6, P. f. melanotis; 7, P. f. perniger; 8, P. f. relictus. Borrowed from Monk and Jones (1996).
  • Holotype: USNM 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917.
  • Holotype: USNM 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917.
  • Holotype: USNM 148206. Perognathus flavescens caryi. Adult male. Eight miles (13 km) west of Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado. Collected 4 October 1906.
  • Holotype: USNM 148206. Perognathus flavescens caryi. Adult male. Eight miles (13 km) west of Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado. Collected 4 October 1906.
  • Holotype: USNM 186507. Perognathus flavescens flavescens. Adult male. Kennedy, Cherry County, Nebraska. Collected 11 June 1888.
  • Holotype: USNM 186507. Perognathus flavescens flavescens. Adult male. Kennedy, Cherry County, Nebraska. Collected 11 June 1888.
  • Holotype: USNM 97416. Perognathus flavescens melanotis. Adult female. Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. Collected 21 May 1899.
  • Holotype: USNM 97416. Perognathus flavescens melanotis. Adult female. Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. Collected 21 May 1899.
  • Holotype: USNM 57725. Perognathus flavescens perniger. Young adult female. Vermillion, Clay County, South Dakota. Collected 22 August 1889.
  • Holotype: USNM 57725. Perognathus flavescens perniger. Young adult female. Vermillion, Clay County, South Dakota. Collected 22 August 1889.
  • Holotype: USNM 150768. Perognathus flavescens relictus. Young adult male. Medano Springs Ranch, northeast of Mosca, San Luis Valley, Alamosa County, Colorado. Collected 2 November 1907.
  • Holotype: USNM 150768. Perognathus flavescens relictus. Young adult male. Medano Springs Ranch, northeast of Mosca, San Luis Valley, Alamosa County, Colorado. Collected 2 November 1907.

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
Colorado Armstrong et al. (2010) 123–145 52–71 16–19 6–8 7–12
Minnesota Hazard (1982) body length: 110–132 (n=48) 49–60 (n=48) 16–18 (n=48) 5–7 (n=48) males: 9.2; females: 6.9–11.5
Nebraska Johnsgard (2020) 114–130 52–65 7–12
North Dakota Seabloom et al. (2020) 122 60 17 6
not reported Ceballos (editor, 2014) 113–154 56–73 15–21 6.5 8–11
Texas Schmidly & Bradley (2016) 130 61 17 8–11


Skull

From Armstrong et al. (2010): "The auditory bullae typically meet anteriorly. As with the olive-backed pocket mouse [Perognathus fasciatus], the interparietal bone is about the same width as the interorbital breadth of the skull."

From Hoffmeister (1986): "Skull of about the same as in Perognathus amplus but broader across the mastoids, pronounced posterior bulge of the occipital between the bullae, width of interparietal greater than maxillary toothrow."

  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Dorsal view of the skull.
  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Dorsal view of the skull. Black arrows identify the interorbital width. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: USNM 148206. Perognathus flavescens caryi. Adult male. Eight miles (13 km) west of Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado. Collected 4 October 1906. Dorsal view of the skull. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: USNM 186507. Perognathus flavescens flavescens. Adult male. Kennedy, Cherry County, Nebraska. Collected 11 June 1888. Dorsal view of the skull. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: USNM 97416. Perognathus flavescens melanotis. Adult female. Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. Collected 21 May 1899. Dorsal view of the skull. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: USNM 57725. Perognathus flavescens perniger. Young adult female. Vermillion, Clay County, South Dakota. Collected 22 August 1889. Dorsal view of the skull. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: USNM 150768. Perognathus flavescens relictus. Young adult male. Medano Springs Ranch, northeast of Mosca, San Luis Valley, Alamosa County, Colorado. Collected 2 November 1907. Dorsal view of the skull. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.
  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Ventral view of the skull.
  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Lateral view of the skull.
  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Dorsal view of the skull. Dorsal view of the mandible.
  • Holotype: 226344. Perognathus flavescens apache . Adult male. Winona, Coconino County, Arizona. Collected 19 July 1917. Lateral view of the left mandible.

Similar species

Perognathus flavescens can be separated from all Chaetodipus by its smooth pelage and ears that lack a lobed antitragus. It can also be separated from Perognathus mollipilosus by ears that lack a lobed antitragus.

Comparison with Perognathus amplus

Placeholder image
Content will be coming to this page in the near future. Please return soon and let us know if you have information or ideas to contribute!

Comparison with Perognathus flavus

From Hoffmeister (1986): "differs from P. flavus as follows: postauricular patch less prominent; tail averaging about 92 percent of head-body rather than between 80 and 90 percent; hind foot larger (averaging 19.4 mm rather than 16.8 mm); skull larger and with posterior bulge of the occipital projecting nearly as far posteriorly as the bullae do; width of interparietal greater than length of maxillary toothrow; whereas in P. flavus greater in only 39 percent and averaging smaller; interorbital region broader; skull broader across mastoids." From Monk & Jones (1996): "The ears are relatively small and the postauricular patches are smaller and less conspicuous than in some congeners (P. flavus, for example)."

Comparison with Perognathus longimembris

Placeholder image
Content will be coming to this page in the near future. Please return soon and let us know if you have information or ideas to contribute!

Comparison with Perognathus merriami

Placeholder image
Content will be coming to this page in the near future. Please return soon and let us know if you have information or ideas to contribute!

Comparison with Perognathus mollipilosus

It can be separated from the Great Basin Pocket Mouse (Perognathus mollipilosus) by ears that lack a lobed antitragus.

Species Size Pelage_appearance Postauricular_patch Subaruicular_spot Antitragus Tail_bicolored Tail_crest Tail_tuft Rump_spines Lateral_lines Lateral_line_color
Perognathus fasciatus small to medium smooth present: buffy present; white absent indistinctly absent absent absent present bright buffy to yellowish buff
Perognathus flavescens small to medium smooth present present; white absent indistinctly absent absent absent present dark ochraceous to pale yellowish
Perognathus flavus small smooth present; buff present; white or buff absent indistinctly absent absent absent present; may be indistinct, buff buff or ochraceous
Perognathus merriami small smooth present; clear buff present; white absent indistinctly absent absent absent present ochraceous

References

Armstrong DM, Fitzgerald JP, Meaney CA. 2010. Mammals of Colorado, Second Edition. Denver (CO, USA): University Press of Colorado.

Benson SB. 1933. Concealing coloration among some desert rodents of the southwestern United States. University of California Publications in Zoology 40:1-7.

Ceballos G, editor. 2014. Mammals of Mexico. Baltimore (MD, USA): Johns Hopkins University Press.

Hazard EB. 1982. The mammals of Minnesota. Minneapolis (MN, USA): University of Minnesota Press.

Johnsgard PA. 2020. Wildlife of Nebraska: a natural history. Lincoln (NE, USA): University of Nebraska Press.

Merriam CH. 1889. Revision of the North American pocket mice. North American Fauna 1:1-36.

Monk RR, Jones JK. 1996. Perognathus flavescens. Mammalian Species (525):1-4. https://doi.org/10.2307/3504180

Seabloom R, Hoganson JW, Jensen WF. 2020. The mammals of North Dakota. Fargo (ND, USA): North Dakota State University Press.

Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.

Williams DF. 1978. Systematics and ecogeographic variation of the Apache pocket mouse (Rodentia, Heteromyidae). Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 10:1-57.

Wilson DE, Lacher Jr TE, Mittermeier RA. 2016. Heteromyidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 648-837, ISBN: 978-84-941892-3-4, DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840226

Retrieved from "https://whiskerwiki.org/index.php?title=Perognathus_flavescens&oldid=120968"
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies.