North American Jumping Mice (Genus Zapus)Krutzsch, Philip H. (Philip Henry)
Science
North American Jumping Mice (Genus Zapus)
Krutzsch, Philip H. (Philip Henry)
Zapus
_Description._--Size, medium; back with broad mid-dorsal band, varying
from pale brown mixed with Pinkish-Buff to dark brown mixed with Warm
Buff or Ochraceous-Buff; sides varying from near Pinkish-Buff to near
Ochraceous-Buff; ventral surface white to base of hairs, not suffused
with other color; tail bicolored, pale brown above and white to
yellowish-white below; ears dark, edged with white or yellowish-white;
upper teeth divergent anteriorly; auditory bullae small; skull
relatively long; zygomata relatively weak and not widely bowed; nasals
wide posteriorly; pterygoid fossae relatively narrow.
_Comparisons._--From _Zapus princeps nevadensis_, _Z. p. cinereus_
differs as follows: Size averaging smaller; entire coloration lighter;
zygomata not so widely bowed; incisive foramina not so wide posteriorly;
auditory bullae smaller; nasals wider posteriorly; pterygoid fossae
narrower.
From _Zapus princeps idahoensis_, _Z. p. cinereus_ can be distinguished
by: generally paler color; smaller auditory bullae; broader interorbital
region; anteriorly diverging tooth-rows; narrower pterygoid fossae.
For comparison with _Zapus princeps utahensis_ see account of that
subspecies.
_Remarks._--Davis (1939:343) writes that "since _cinereus_ was described
from nine specimens, only two of which are near adult, one cannot place
much value on the coloration ascribed to it by Hall (1931:7)." I
examined the type series and found, as did Davis (_loc. cit._), that the
type is much lighter and grayer than is a near adult paratype, which was
obtained the same day; however, I do not concur with Davis (_loc. cit._)
that specimens from Mt. Harrison, 10 mi. S Albion, Idaho, which are
darker and much more ochraceous than the paratype, necessarily are more
nearly typically colored. These individuals, judged by cranial
characters, are more nearly typical of _cinereus_ but show
intergradation with _Z. p. idahoensis_ in their darker and more
ochraceous pelage.
Durrant (1952:387) found that the gray color of _Z. p. cinereus_ was not
diagnostic in separating _Z. p. cinereus_ from _Z. p. utahensis_,
because gray animals are also found in _Z. p. utahensis_. Specimens from
Camp Tendoy, Pocatello, Idaho, are intermediate in color and in cranial
characters as between _Z. p. idahoensis_ and _Z. p. cinereus_, but here
are referred to _Z. p. cinereus_. Whitlow and Hall (1933:268) compared
these individuals with specimens of _Z. p. princeps_ and _Z. p.
cinereus_, finding them intermediate but in the aggregate of several
differential characters better referred to the latter.
_Specimens examined._--Total, 35, distributed as follows:
IDAHO: _Bannock County_: Camp Tendoy, Pocatello, 2 (MVZ). _Cassia
County_: Mt. Harrison, 10 mi. S Albion, 16 (MVZ).
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