275.

Talamancan Deermouse

Peromyscus nudipes

French: Péromyscus de la Talamanca / German: Talamanca-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de Talamanca

Other common names: Naked-footed Deermouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus nudipes J. A. Allen, 1891, La Carpintera, Cartago, Costa Rica.

Peromyscus nudipes is in the P. mexicanus species group. It initially was described as a distinct species but later placed in synonomy with P. mexicanus by some authors. Recent DNA studies suggests that it represents a valid taxon. Two former subspecies of P. nudipes (hesperus and orientalis) should be assigned to P. nicaragua. Monotypic.

Distribution. Cordillera de Talamanca of S Costa Rica and NW Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 111-137 mm, tail 103-140 mm, hindfoot 26-30 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Talamancan Deermouse is mediumto large-sized, with dark brown blackish dorsum and darker mid-dorsal stripe. Venter is yellowish white, with varying intensities of buffy pectoral suffusion. Feet are white, with dusky color on proximal one-half. Tail is dark brown to blackish and sometimes blotched underneath. Tail has short hairs and is prominately scaled.

Habitat. Montane pine-oak forests in southern Costa Rica and north-western Panama and midto low-elevation tropical forests in north-central Costa Rica northward to Nicaragua and Honduras, typically at elevations above 2000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Talamancan Deermouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Given the restricted distribution of the Talamancan Deermouse, it should be carefully monitored.

Bibliography. Bradley et al. (2016), Hall (1981), Musser & Carleton (2005), Pérez-Consuegra & Vazquez-Dominguez (2015).