182.

Western Diminutive Woodrat

Nelsonia neotomodon

French: Néotoma de Nelson / German: Westliche Kleinstbuschratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque pequena occidental

Other common names: Diminutive Woodrat

Taxonomy. Nelsonia neotomodon Merriam, 1897, mountains near Plateado (2500 m), Zacatecas, Mexico.

Former subspecies goldmani was elevated to species status, and the subspecies clifton: was assigned to N. goldmani, leaving N. neotomodon as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Sierra Madre Occidental in S Durango, S Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, and N Jalisco states (WC Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 118-121 mm,tail 109-117 mm, ear 23-25 mm, hindfoot 25-30 mm; weight 43-55 g. The Western Diminutive Woodrat is similar to Goldman’s Diminutive Woodrat (N. goldmani) and other species of woodrats, butit is smaller. It is distinguished from Goldman’s Diminutive Woodrat by lighter dorsal pelage, smaller and lighter colored feet, and bicolored tail. Dorsum of the Western Diminutive Woodrat is light brown, with cinnamon shades and darker toward rear. Hindfeet are usually white. Dorsal part of tail is dark and clearly delimited by light color of underside, and tip of the tail is usually white. Molars have prismatic appearance, and prisms alternate, instead of opposing.

Habitat. Forest habitats of conifers ( Pinus and Abies), poplar ( Populus, Salicaceae), and oak ( Quercus, Fagaceae), associated with the Sierra Madre Occidental and apparently restricted to elevations above 2000 m. The Western Diminutive Woodrat typically occupies relatively wet environments and often extremely cold and freezing habitats.

Food and Feeding. Stomach contents of some Western Diminutive Woodrats contained green masses that appear to be pine needles.

Breeding. Females caught in July in Durango showed no evidence of reproductive activity.

Activity patterns. The Western Diminutive Woodrat is presumably nocturnal. It is associated with rocky slopes, and most specimens have been captured on the ground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Western Diminutive Woodrat is included in the category of rare and endemic to Mexico. It is rarely encountered and apparently a specialist of high-elevation forests. Although its distribution is relatively large (c.25,000 km?), it is restricted to rugged montane slopes and ravines with climax vegetation in need of protection.

Bibliography. Baker & Greer (1962), Engstrom et al. (1992), Hall (1981), Hooper (1954), Merriam (1897), Muhiz-Martinez & Arroyo-Cabrales (1996), Sanchez (2014b), SEMARNAT (2010).