Perognathus mollipilosus
| Great Basin Pocket Mouse
(Perognathus mollipilosus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Castorimorphi |
| Superfamily: | Geomyoidea |
| Family: | Heteromyidae |
| Subfamily: | Perognathinae |
| Genus: | Perognathus |
| Subgenus: | Cricetodipus |
| Binomial details | |
| Perognathus mollipilosus Coues, 1875 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
Perognathus parvus was split by Riddle et al. (2014) based on analyses of both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nDNA). They proposed that populations to the south belong to Perognathus mollipilosus and northern populations belong to the Columbia Plateau Pocket Mouse (Perognathus parvus). It is currently unknown if Perognathus mollipilosus occurs on the central and eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho (Riddle, 2014). Further studies will be needed to fully understand new species boundaries.
Description
The following is a description of the neotype (a type specimen that is selected subsequent to the description of a species to replace a preexisting type that has been lost or destroyed) from Riddle et al. (2014): "The neotype was collected 8 September 1892. Pelage hairs of the dorsum are multibanded. They have black (7.5YR 2/0, where YR = Yellow/Red, 7.5 = the type of Yellow/Red, and 2/0 = the shade of 7.5YR, according to Munsell Color [1975]) tips, a narrow band of very pale brown (10YR 8/4) medially, and a wide band of gray (10YR 5/1) proximally. Hairs of the sides are bicolored with equal lengths of very pale brown (10YR 8/4) distally and gray (10YR 5/1) proximally. Hairs of the venter are all blond-white (10YR 8/1). The tail has a dark dorsal stripe of bicolored hairs with equal lengths of black (7.5YR 2/0) distally and very pale brown (10YR 8/4) proximally for the anterior three-fourths of the tail. For the remaining one-fourth of the distal stripe, the hairs are all gray (10YR 5/2). The remainder of the tail matches the blond-white of the venter pelage color."
From Jameson & Peeters (2004): "A buffy or ashy pocket mouse with soft, silky fur. The long, bicolored tail has a slight apical crest. The heel of the hind foot is furred. The ears are small with an inner lobe at the base."
The antitragus of the ear is lobed. It is one of the few species within the genus that has a lobed antitragus.
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 (Mohave Co.) | Hoffmeister (1986) | body length: 80–88 (n=18) | 77–95 (n=18) | 22–25 (n=18) | ||
| neotype | Riddle et al. (2014) | 165 | 87 | 22 |
Skull
-
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Adult male. Shasta County, California. Collected 8 September 1892. -
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Black arrows identify the interorbital width. The interparietal bone is colored yellow.. -
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Adult male. Shasta County, California. Collected 8 September 1892. -
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Adult male. Shasta County, California. Collected 8 September 1892. -
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Adult male. Shasta County, California. Collected 8 September 1892. -
Neotype: USNM 36760. Perognathus mollipilosus. Adult male. Shasta County, California. Collected 8 September 1892.
Distribution
From Riddle et al. (2014): "The known distribution of P. mollipilosus ranges from central and southern Oregon south and west of the Columbia and Snake rivers, southward through northeastern and south-central California, most of Nevada and Utah west of the Colorado River, southwestern Wyoming, and northern Arizona. Distribution of P. mollipilosus overlaps with that of P. parvus in 1 examined locality from north-central Oregon (Jefferson County, 10 mi. N, 5 mi. E Redmond). It is currently unknown if P. mollipilosus occurs on the central and eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho."
Similar species
From Riddle et al. (2014): "Perognathus mollipilosus is not currently easily distinguishable from P. parvus (revised diagnosis) by diagnostic morphological characters (this study). However, it is distinguishable by up to 18.8% mtDNA divergence and 0.8% divergence in 2 nDNA gene sequences (IRBP and RAG2)."
| Species | Size | Pelage_appearance | Postauricular_patch | Subaruicular_spot | Antitragus | Tail_bicolored | Tail_crest | Tail_tuft | Rump_spines | Lateral_lines | Lateral_line_color |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaetodipus formosus | medium | smooth | absent | present; white or buff | lobed | distinctly or indistinctly | present | present | absent | faint or absent | ochraceous |
| 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 longimembris | small | smooth | present; faint | when present, it is faint | lobed; very small and not always obvious | distinctly or indistinctly | absent | absent or present; if present hairs 3-7 mm | absent | absent or faint | |
| Perognathus mollipilosus | medium | smooth | present | present | lobed | distinctly or indistinctly | absent; slightly crested near tip | absent | absent | present; faint | olive colored or ochraceous |
| Perognathus parvus | medium | smooth | present | present | lobed | distinctly or indistinctly | absent; slightly crested near tip | absent | absent | present; wide | buffy yellowish |
References
Coues E. 1875-08-31. A critical review of the North American Saccomyidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 27(2):272-327.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Riddle BR, Jezkova T, Eckstut ME, Oláh-Hemmings V, Carraway LN. 2014. Cryptic divergence and revised species taxonomy within the Great Basin pocket mouse, Perognathus parvus (Peale, 1848), species group. Journal of Mammalogy 95(1):9-25.