204.

Bryant's Woodrat

Neotoma bryanti

French: Néotoma de Bryant / German: Bryant-Buschratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque de Bryant

Taxonomy. Neotoma bryant: Merriam, 1887, Cerros [= Cedros] Island, Baja California Norte, Mexico.

Systematics and taxonomy of N. lepida group was revisited for south-western USA and Mexico, resulting in relegation of several former species and subspecies into newly conceived N. bryant . Taxonomic status of N. bryant: has been resolved with genetic and morphometric methods. Five subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

N.b.bryantiMerriam,1887—Sthree-fourthsoftheBajaCaliforniaPeninsulaandsurroundingIsofCedros,Magdalena,Margaritas,Coronados,Carmen,Danzante,SanJosé,SanFrancisco,Partida,andEspirituSanto(NWMexico).

N.b.anthony:J.A.Allen,1898—knownonlyfromTodosSantosI,BajaCaliforniaSurState(NWMexico).

N.b.intermediaRhoads,1894—fromEofSanFranciscoBayinCWCalifornia(WUSA)StotheNone-fourthofBajaCaliforniaPeninsula(NWMexico).

N.b.marcosensisBurt,1932—knownonlyfromSanMarcosI,BajaCaliforniaSurState(NWMexico).

N. b. martinensis Goldman, 1905 — known only from San Martin I, Baja California State (NW Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 163-206 mm, tail 123-187 mm, ear 23-38 mm,hindfoot 29-42 mm; weight 150-300 g. Bryant’s Woodratis large, with large ears and long bicolored tail, ¢.85% of head-body length. Dorsum is dark, blackish middorsally, mixed with clay color, almost pure clay on sides and about face, and underside is whitish. Ankles are dark, but feet are white. Auditory bullae are small relative to other western woodrats, maxillofrontal suture intersects lacrimal bone anterior to midpoint, and anteroloph of M1 with deep antermedial notch.

Habitat. Coastal shrub communities, chaparral, oak and pine-oak woodland, desert scrub, and arid subtropical forest from sea level to elevations of 2620 m on Mount Pinos, Ventura County, California .

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Bryant's Woodrat is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Bryant’s Woodrat builds middens in rocky outcroppings, crevices, and under bushes. Middens resemble those of the Desert Woodrat (N. lepida) and are constructed with leaves, sticks, twigs, and other materials.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List, but taking into account only the populations living on Cedros Island. Following recent taxonomic revision, distribution of Bryant’s Woodrat now includes most of the Baja California Peninsula. This expansion needs to be factored into a new conservation assessment.

Bibliography. Allen (1898), Burt (1932), Goldman (1905), Mellink et al. (2014), Merriam (1887), Patton et al. (2007), Rhoads (1894).