A New Subspecies of Wood Rat (Neotoma mexicana) from Colorado — John Shaqi
A New Subspecies of Wood Rat (Neotoma mexicana) from ColoradoFinley, Robert B.
Science
A New Subspecies of Wood Rat (Neotoma mexicana) from Colorado
Finley, Robert B.
Mammals -- Colorado; Wood rats
_Description._--Adults in dense unworn pelage taken in
February at Two Buttes Reservoir: size large for the species;
tail approximately 76 per cent as long as head and body; hind
feet of medium length. Pelage: moderately long, thick; tail
covered with short hairs; longest vibrissae 80 mm. Color:
sides near Raffia (11 E 6) (capitalized color names and
designators are of Maerz and Paul, A Dictionary of Color,
McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1930) overlaid with black, the
general effect being grayish buff (13 G 6); back darker,
moderately to heavily overlaid with black; indistinct dark eye
ring; underparts whitish, fur basally gray except patch of fur
pure white to base almost always present on upper throat; dark
line around mouth; tail bicolor, black above, whitish below;
feet white to ankles.
Skull: large for the species, strongly arched at base of
rostrum; rostrum heavy; zygomatic arches widely spreading,
heavy, squarish; braincase moderately ridged and angular;
nasals wide anteriorly, lateral margins nearly parallel or
converging evenly posteriorly, tapered abruptly at posterior
ends which reach posteriorly beyond anterior plane of orbits;
dorsal branches of premaxillae extending 0.5 to 1.2 mm.
posterior to nasals; interorbital region moderately channeled,
narrowly constricted near middle of frontal (instead of
anteriorly); supraorbital ridges concave laterally, diverging
more strongly posterior to interorbital constriction (frontal
8.7 to 9.5 mm. wide at posterior ends of supraorbital ridges);
temporal ridges widely flaring on parietals; occipital ridges
prominent; interparietal broadly rectangular between temporal
ridges, usually short in median line of skull, posterior
margin straight or with slight median posterior angle;
incisive foramina tapered toward both ends, sometimes narrower
anteriorly than posteriorly; anterior palatal spine usually
forming a blade thickened on ventral edge, and right and left
sides usually incompletely fused; nasal septum with a
posterior notch separating vomer from maxillary; posterior
margin of palate usually bearing single or double point,
sometimes straight; interpterygoid fossa moderately wide,
lateral margins concave; sphenopalatine vacuities large;
auditory bullae of medium size; basioccipital with low median
ridge or crest; upper incisors wide, yellow or yellow-orange;
molars large, M1 wider than M2; maxillary tooth-rows long,
nearly parallel; anterointernal fold of M1 deep, cutting more
than half way across first enamel loop.
[Illustration: FIGS. 1-6. Skulls of _Neotoma mexicana_. All x 1.
FIGS. 1-2. _Neotoma mexicana scopulorum_, holotype.
FIGS. 3-6. _Neotoma mexicana fallax_, 1-1/2 mi. NW Golden, 6200 ft.,
Jefferson County, Colorado, 8 June 1948, [Male] No. 29182 KU.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account