The Recent Mammals of Tamaulipas, MéxicoAlvarez, Ticul
Science
The Recent Mammals of Tamaulipas, México
Alvarez, Ticul
Mammals -- Mexico -- Tamaulipas
_Peromyscus pectoralis_ and _P. boylii_ are closely related
morphologically and seem to occupy the same habitat. In the Sierra
Madre Oriental, according to the field notes of the collector
(Heinrich, June 6 to August 5, 1953), individuals of _P. pectoralis_
had a pinkish coloration on the mouth and forefeet produced by the
juice of the "nopal" cactus fruit, on which obviously the mice feed,
whereas only a few specimens of _boylii_ were thus discolored. It was
noted that _boylii_ was feeding on acorns. Furthermore, the two species
may differ in time of breeding; in August, males of _pectoralis_ had
the testes well developed when those organs were small in _boylii_
collected at the same locality.
A specimen from 53 kilometers north of El Limón, was shot at a height
of 10 feet on a concrete underpass. Other specimens were taken in a
trap line that yielded _Peromyscus boylii_, _P. leucopus_ and _Liomys
irroratus_.
Two subspecies of _P. pectoralis_ occur in Tamaulipas: _P. p. collinus_
is widely distributed in the central and western parts of the state and
_P. p. eremicoides_ occurs only in the western "corner" of the state.
=Peromyscus pectoralis collinus= Hooper
1952. _Peromyscus pectoralis collinus_ Hooper, Jour. Mamm.,
33:372, August 19, type from San José, 2000 ft., Sierra San
Carlos, 12 mi. NW San Carlos, Tamaulipas.
_Distribution in Tamaulipas._--Along the central and western
mountains.
A female obtained on January 21 at a place 53 kilometers north of El
Limón, contained three embryos. A lactating female was taken on August
2 in the Sierra Madre Oriental. Males, as previously noted, had
well-developed testes in August. The weights of 17 males and 20 females
from the Sierra de Tamaulipas were, respectively, 26.6 (24-33), and
25.6 (21-31) grams.
Measurements of specimens from different localities in Tamaulipas
averaged about the same, except that those of specimens from Palmillas,
averaged smaller. The small size suggests intergradation between the
subspecies _collinus_ and _eremicoides_. The latter occurs to the west
and differs from _collinus_ in smaller size, more grayish coloration,
completely white tarsal joint and relatively longer tail. Hooper
(1952:374) reported specimens from Jaumave as intergrades between the
two subspecies before mentioned and Osgood (1909:164) identified two
specimens from there as _eremicoides_. In the present account,
individuals from Palmillas and Jaumave are referred to _collinus_.
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