Mice found dead in overheated traps had salivated heavily, and may also
have licked the fur on their chests to increase heat dissipation. One
such adult, of _P. truei_, had a wet chest when he was taken from a warm
trap; when released, this mouse ran to a nearby plant of _Comandra
umbellata_, and ate a few of the succulent leaves before running off.
This individual was trapped several times later in the summer, and
apparently suffered no ill effects from the exposure.
Dental Anomalies
Abnormalities in the formation and occlusion, or decay of teeth, are
relatively rare in wild mammals. Of all bodily structures, the teeth
apparently are under the most rigid genetic controls; they form early in
the embryo and follow rigidly specified patterns in their ontogeny.
Apparently any deviation from the normal pattern of tooth formation is
quickly selected against. All specimens of _P. m. rufinus_ and _P. t.
truei_ in the collection of the Museum of Natural History at the
University of Kansas, and in my collection, were examined for dental
anomalies. A total of 317 specimens of _P. m. rufinus_ and 54 specimens
of _P. t. truei_ were examined. The following specimens were found to
have abnormalities:
K. U. 69361, _P. maniculatus_, adult: Small bundles of plant fibers are
lodged between all upper teeth and have penetrated the maxilla anterior
to the left M1. The maxillary bone is eroded away from the roots of all
teeth. The anteriormost roots of both lower first molars are almost
completely exposed, because the dentary has been abraded away.
K. U. 76041, _P. maniculatus_, young: A piece of plant fiber is wedged
between the left M2 and M3. The maxillary bone has eroded away from
around the roots of M3, indicating the presence of an abscess in this
area.
K. U. 69362, _P. maniculatus_, adult: All teeth in the lower right
tooth-row are greatly worn, especially on the lingual side. The labial
half of the right M1 is all that remains; decay is apparent both in the
crown and roots on the lingual side of this tooth.
K. U. 69397, _P. maniculatus_, old: The maxillae have eroded away from
around the anterior roots of each first upper molar, leaving these roots
unsupported.
C. L. D. 231, _P. maniculatus_, old: The teeth in this female are
greatly worn; re-entrant angles are not visible in any teeth. A circular
hole, 0.1 millimeter in diameter, exists in the dentine immediately over
(when viewed from the underside of the skull) the posterior root of the
right M1. The crowns of the teeth are greatly reduced in height, and the
dentine is thin.
Anomalies in the Skull
Wormian bones and other abnormalities in the roofing bones are noted, as
follows:
K. U. 76090, _P. maniculatus_, young: The interparietal is divided; the
divided suture is in line with the suture between the parietals. The
interparietal is 7.8 millimeters long.
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