Reithrodontomys raviventris
| Salt-marsh Harvest Mouse
(Reithrodontomys raviventris) | |
|---|---|
| Range | |
 | |
| Taxonomic classification | |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Suborder: | Supramyomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Myomorphi |
| Superfamily: | Muroidea |
| Family: | Cricetidae |
| Subfamily: | Neotominae |
| Tribe: | Reithrodontomyini |
| Genus: | Reithrodontomys |
| Subgenus: | Reithrodontomys (subgenus) |
| Binomial details | |
| Reithrodontomys raviventris Dixon, 1908 | |
| Other resources | |
| Full taxonomic details at MDD | |
The Salt-marsh Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species of harvest mouse restricted to the salt marshes of the San Francisco Bay area of California.
Description
The specific epithet raviventris, meaning red belly, refers to the particularly distinctive reddish-brown belly of this species. Although, this character can be variable and varying amounts of reddish-brown may be present. Two subspecies of Reithrodontomys raviventris are recognized: R. r. raviventris and R. r. halicoetes.
From Shellhammer (1982): "The upper parts of R . r, raviventris are blackish and cinnamon. A lateral line is present as a tawny stripe. The venter varies from white to cinnamon (see Fisler, 1965, for a complete description). The upperparts of R. r. halicoetes are lighter than in R. r. raviventris but darker than in R . megalotis. A lateral line is seldom present and the venter is usually white. The ears of both subspecies are dark; those of R . r. raviventris blackish. Most salt marsh harvest mice have tufts of ochraceous hairs at the anterior bases of their ears. The pelage of salt marsh harvest mice is longer and thicker than R. megalotis at all seasons. The tails of salt marsh harvest mice are indistinctly bicolored. There are always brownish hairs on the under surface, some thing absent from the bicolored tail of R . megalotis."
Museum specimens
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Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Dorsal view of the skin. -
Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Ventral view of the skin.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | Fisler (1965) | 118–175 | 56–95 | 15–21 | 7.6–14.5 | |
| California | Jameson & Peeters (2004) | 118–175 | 56–95 | 15–21 | 12–14 | 8–12 |
Skull
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Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Dorsal view of the skull. -
Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Ventral view of the skull. -
Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Lateral view of the skull. -
Holotype: MVZ:Mamm:475. Reithrodontomys raviventris raviventris. Male. From salt marsh near Redwood City, San Mateo County, California. Collected 15 January 1908. Lateral view of the right mandible.
Similar species
Scientists at the University of California at Davis have developed a tool to differentiate Reithrodontomys raviventris from the Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis), which is sympatric. View the tool here. The study describing the tool can be found here.
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Western Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis)
References
Dixon J. 1908. A new harvest mouse from the salt marshes of San Francisco Bay, California. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 21:197–198.
Fisler GF. 1965. Adaptations and speciation in harvest mice of the marshes of San Francisco Bay. University of California Publications in Zoology 77:1-108.
Jameson EW, Peeters HJ. 2004. Mammals of California (No. 66). Berkeley (CA, USA): University of California Press.
Shellhammer H. 1982. Reithrodontomys raviventris. Mammalian species (169): 1-3.