320.

Crested-tailed Deermouse

Habromys lophurus

French: Habromys a queue hérissée / German: Kammschwanz-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de cola crestada

Other common names: Crested-tailed Mouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus lophurus Osgood, 1904, “Todos Santos, [Huehuetenango,] Guatemala.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. SE Mexico (Sierra Madre de Chiapas) through Guatemala to extreme NW El Salvador.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 95-115 mm, tail 92-115 mm, ear 17-19 mm, hindfoot 23-25 mm; weight 24-31 g. The Crested-tailed Deermouse is a mediumsized species of Habromys, characterized by lighter color. Dorsal is brown, tan, and fulvous; venter is white, and hairs have gray bases; ears are usually dark; and tail is uniformly dark to tip and hairy.

Habitat. Cloud forests and humid and cold forests of oaks and conifers, with epiphytes, ferns and mosses, at elevations of 1950-3100 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Some Crested-tailed Deermice collected in May had evidence of reproductive activity.

Activity patterns. Crested-tailed Deermice are nocturnal and arboreal or semi-arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. Nevertheless, paucity of information about the Crested-tailed Deermouse suggests that Data Deficient is a better classification.

Bibliography. Burt & Stirton (1961), Carleton (1980, 1989), Carleton & Huckaby (1975), Carleton & Musser (1984), Ledn-Paniagua & Romo (2014c), Osgood (1904), Reid, Vazquez & Emmons (2008).