Peromyscus hylocetes, Merriam, 1898

Don E. Wilson, Russell A. Mittermeier & Thomas E. Lacher, Jr, 2017, Cricetidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 204-535 : 393

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6707142
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6707598
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F06D13-FFDC-2015-0898-10960157F55A
treatment provided by	Carolina
scientific name	Peromyscus hylocetes
status

Treatment

299. View Plate 18: Cricetidae

Transvolcanic Deermouse

Peromyscus hylocetes View in CoL

French: Péromyscus des volcans / German: Transvulkan-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de Transvolcéanica

Taxonomy. Peromyscus hylocetes Merriam, 1898 View in CoL , “Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico (alt. about 8000 ft. [= 2438 m]).”

Peromyscus hylocetes is in the aztecus species group. It was described as a species and later treated as a subspecies of P. aztecus ; however, recent genetic data suggests it should be treated as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Cordillera Transvolcanica from N Colima and SW Jalisco E to Distrito Federal and Morelos, Mexico. View Figure

Descriptive notes. Head-body 101-121 mm, tail 102-117 mm, ear 16—~19 mm, hindfoot 25-27 mm; weight 22-36 g. The Transvolcanic Deermouse is medium-sized, with ocherous pale to reddish brown dorsum, mixed with black hair. Venter is white to cream. Feet are white, with dark line stretching from tarsals to metatarsals. Tail is bicolored and equal to head-body length. It has distinct black eye-rings. Interorbital region is angular as opposed to hourglass-shaped as in the boylii species group.

Habitat. Pine-oak and cloud forests and occasionally lava fields and other areas with sparse vegetation at elevations of 2300-2700 m.

Food and Feeding. The Transvolcanic Deermouse eats grasses, fruits, and seeds and supplement its diet with insects. In western Mexico, diets were dominated by fruits (51:4%), leaves (21%), and seeds (21%).

Breeding. Reproduction of Transvolcanic Deermice occurs in the rainy season (August—October) and dry season (May).

Activity patterns. The Transvolcanic Deermouse is terrestrial and mainly nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Average density was 9 ind/ha with lowest density of 3 ind/ha in the dry season (June) and highest densities of 12 ind/ ha at the end of the rainy season (October) and 15 ind/ha at beginning of dry-cold season (January-February).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. Carleton (1979), Ceballos & Galindo (1984), Cruzado & Ceballos (2014), Hall (1981), Hooper (1968a), Merriam (1898), Musser & Carleton (2005), Osgood (1909), Sullivan & Kilpatrick (1991), Sullivan, Arellano & Rogers (2000), Sullivan, Markert & Kilpatrick (1997), Vazquez et al. (2000, 2001).

Figures

284. Blackish Deermouse (Peromyscus furvus), 285. Wide-rostrum Deermouse (Peromyscus latirostris), 286. Michoacan Deermouse (Peromyscus sagax), 287. Tres Marias Deermouse (Peromyscus madrenss), 288. San Esteban Deermouse (Peromyscus stephani), 289. Sinaloan Deermouse (Peromyscus simulus), 290. Brush Deermouse (Peromyscus boylu), 291. Durango Deermouse (Peromyscus schmidly), 292. Nimble-footed Deermouse (Peromyscus levipes), 293. Carleton’s Deermouse (Peromyscus carletoni), 294. Kilpatrick's Deermouse (Peromyscus kilpatricki), 295. Orizaba Deermouse (Peromyscus beatae), 296. Gleaning Deermouse (Peromyscus spicilegus), 297. Coalcoman Deermouse (Peromyscus winkelmanni), 298. Oaxacan Deermouse (Peromyscus oaxacensis), 299. Transvolcanic Deermouse (Peromyscus hylocetes), 300. Aztec Deermouse (Peromyscus aztecus), 301. Northern White-ankled Deermouse (Peromyscus laceianus), 302. Southern White-ankled Deermouse (Peromyscus pectoralis), 303. Saxicoline Deermouse (Peromyscus gratus), 304. El Carrizo Deermouse (Peromyscus ochraventer), 305. Chihuahuan Deermouse (Peromyscus polius), 306. Pinyon Deermouse (Peromyscus true), 307. Texas Deermouse (Peromyscus attwateri), 308. Northern Rock Deermouse (Peromyscus nasutus), 309. Southern Rock Deermouse (Peromyscus difficilis), 310. Perote Deermouse (Peromyscus bullatus), 312. Oaxacan Big-toothed Deermouse (Megadontomys cryophilus), 313. Nelson's Big-toothed Deermouse (Megadontomys nelsoni), 314. Xico Deermouse (Habromys simulatus), 315. Delicate Deermouse (Habromys delicatulus), 316. Schmidly’s Deermouse (Habromys schmidlyi), 317. Ixtlan Deermouse (Habromys ixtlani), 318. Chinanteco Deermouse (Habromys chinanteco), 319. Zempoaltepec Deermouse (Habromys lepturus), 320. Crested-tailed Deermouse (Habromys lophurus)