239.

Sumichrast’s Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys sumichrasti

French: Souris-moissonneuse de Sumichrast / German: Sumichrast-Erntemaus / Spanish: Raton espiguero de Sumichrast

Taxonomy. Reithrodon sumichrasti Saussure, 1861, “Mexicana tellus.” Restricted by E. T. Hooper in 1952 to Mirador, Veracruz.

Reithrodontomys sumichrasti is in subgenus Reithrodontomys . Seven subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

R.s.sumichrastiSaussure,1861—fromQuerétaroStoOaxacastates(SCMexico).

R.s.australis].A.Allen,1895—CordilleradeTalamancaofCostaRica.

R.s.dorsalisMerriam,1901—ChiapasState(SEMexico)andGuatemala.

R.s.luteolusA.H.Howell,1914—CGuerreroandWOaxacastates(SMexico).

R.s.modestusThomas,1907—SWHonduras,extremeNElSalvador,andNWNicaragua.

R. s. nerterus Merriam, 1901 — from S Jalisco E to W México states (WC Mexico).

R. s. vulcanius Bangs, 1902 — known only from the type locality and surrounding areas in W Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-88 mm, tail 81-113 mm, ear 12-18 mm, hindfoot 18-21 mm; weight 12-16 g. Sumichrast’s Harvest Mouse is medium-sized. Dorsum ranges from cinnamon and orange to darker gray, depending on subspecies and level of banding on hairs. Venter is lighter and ranges from cinnamon to brown or buffy pink to cinnamon-pink. Tail is long and brown or dark brown on top and lighter underneath. Hindfeet vary from white, cinnamon, and pink to cinnamon-pink. Dark line on dorsum is characteristic of subspecies dorsalis .

Habitat. Subtropical and temperate regions with grasslands, shrubby vegetation, pineoak forests, cloud forests, subtropical forests with abundant ferns and mosses, maize fields, and sugar cane and mango plantations at elevations of 800-3200 m. Sumichrast’s Harvest Mouse is typically most common in cold and wet pine-oak forests and riparian habitats.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A pregnant Sumichrast’s Harvest Mouse was captured in April.

Activity patterns. Sumichrast’s Harvest Mouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Allen (1895a), Baker & Phillips (1965), Baker & Womochel (1966), Bangs (1901), Burt (1961), Goodwin (1969), Hall (1981), Hall & Dalquest (1963), Heaney & Birney (1977), Hooper (1952a, 1961), Howell (1914), Merriam (1901b), Ponce-Ulloa & Llorente (1993), Ramirez-Pulido, Quijano et al. (2014), de Saussure (1861), Smith & Jones (1967), Thomas (1907b).