Peromyscus laceianus
| Northern White-ankled Deermouse
(Peromyscus laceianus) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Tribe: | Peromyscini |
| Genus: | Peromyscus |
| Binomial details | |
| Peromyscus laceianus V. O. Bailey, 1906 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Northern White-ankled Deermouse (Peromyscus laceianus) is a medium-sized deer mouse found in brushy or wooded hillsides in chaparral and pinyon-oak habitats in rocky outcroppings, canyons, and foothills. Many species of deer mice are difficult to differentiate without careful measurement and examination of the molar teeth. With the help of good photographs, it may be possible to narrow the list of potential species.
This species was split from Peromyscus pectoralis by Bradley et al. (2015).
Description
From Schmidly & Bradley (2016): "Peromyscus laceianus (formerly P. pectoralis) is a small-eared, long-tailed deermouse with tarsal joint of hind foot white; pelage moderately long and lax; tail longer than head and body, scantily haired, not sharply bicolor but darker above than below, and annulations 20–24 per cm; upperparts grayish to wood brown; underparts and feet white; young bluish gray."
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Schmidly & Bradley (2016) | 187 | 95 | 22 | 16 | 24–39 |
| Texas (Culberson Co.) | Cornely et al. (1981) | 182–199 (n=7) | 95–107 (n=7) | 19–22 (n=7) | 16–22 (n=7) |
Skull
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Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Dorsal view of the mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Lateral view of the left mandible. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Upper molars. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Upper molars. Arrows point to the accessory lophs on the first and second upper molars. -
Holotype: USNM 97063. Peromyscus laceianus. Adult male. Ranch of Howard Lacey, Turtle Creek, near Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas. Collected 3 May 1899. Lower molars.
Similar species
From Bradley et al. (2015): "P. laceianus is most easily confused with 2 other species of deer mice in Texas, P. attwateri and P. boylii. From P. attwateri, P. laceianus differs in smaller size (particularly in length of hind foot); paler color; white instead of dusky ankles; more sharply bicolored tail; smaller bullae; shorter incisive foramen; truncate instead of rounded posterior tip of nasals; shorter toothrow; smaller, more weakly developed mesopterygoid process; baculum with long cartilaginous spine at distal end instead of a short spine; 9–10 large chromosomes rather than 7–8. From P. boylii, P. laceianus differs in the following features: skull slightly smaller; rostrum relatively broader and heavier; braincase less vaulted; molar teeth slightly smaller; white instead of dusky ankles; posterior tip of nasals truncate rather than tapering in a V-shaped pattern; baculum with long cartilaginous spine at distal end instead of a short spine; 9–10 large biarmed chromosomes rather than 3–4."
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Texas Deermouse (Peromyscus attwateri) -
Brush Deermouse (Peromyscus boylii)
References
Bailey V. 1906. A New White-Footed Mouse from Texas. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 19, 57.
Bradley RD, Schmidly DJ, Amman BR, Platt RN, Neumann KM, Huynh HM, ... & Ordóñez-Garza N. 2015. Molecular and morphologic data reveal multiple species in Peromyscus pectoralis. Journal of Mammalogy 96(2): 446-459.
Schmidly DJ, Bradley RD. 2016. The mammals of Texas. Austin (TX, USA): University of Texas Press.