288.

San Esteban Deermouse

Peromyscus stephani

French: Péromyscus de San Esteban / German: San-Esteban-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Ratén ciervo de San Esteban

Other common names: San Esteban Island Mouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus stephani Townsend, 1912, “San Esteban Island,” Sonora, Mexico. Peromyscus stephani is in the boylii species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. San Esteban I, Gulf of California, Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 83-95 mm, tail 100-124 mm, ear 16-20 mm, hindfoot 18-22 mm; weight 16-25 g. The San Esteban Deermouse is small to medium-sized, with light reddish brown dorsum, mixed with dark gray hair, giving grayish brown appearance. Sides are marked by pale yellow lateral line. Venter is white. Hindfeet are white and slightly large for overall bodysize. Tail is bicolored and slightly shorter than head-body length.

Habitat. Xeric scrublands and along rocky areas and sloping hillsides from sea level to elevations of ¢.540 m.

Food and Feeding. The San Esteban Deermouse eats seeds, green parts of plants, flowers, fruit, and insects.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The San Esteban Deermouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List, because it is known from a single location with a small extent of occurrence of less than 42 km?®.

Bibliography. Alvarez-Castafeda & Cortés-Calva (1999), Carleton (1977), de la Cerda & Mellink (2014b), Hall (1981), Lawlor (1971b), Lépez-Forment et al. (1996), Musser & Carleton (2005), Tiemann-Boege et al. (2000), Townsend (1912).