191.

Black-tailed Woodrat

Neotoma melanura

French: Néotoma a queue noire / German: Schwarzschwanz-Buschratte / Spanish: Rata de bosque de cola negra

Other common names: Sonora \ Woodrat

Taxonomy. Neotoma melanura Merriam, 1894, Ortiz, Sonora, Mexico.

Neotoma melanura was originally considered a subspecies of N. albigula . Taxonomic revision of N. albigula placed eastern and south-eastern populations (durangae, latifrons, leucodon, melas, robusta, subsolana, and warreni) in N. leucodon and suggested that south-western populations ( albigula, brevicauda, laplataensis, mearnsi, melanura, seri, sheldoni, and venusta) were part of N. albigula . Recently, melanura was elevated to species status. There is substantial genetic variation between northern and southern populations of N. melanura that might be associated with subspecific variation. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Sonora and N Sinaloa states (NW Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 184-213 mm, tail 149-185 mm, ear 28-33 mm, hindfoot 35-36 mm; weight 154-246 g. The Black-tailed Woodrat is medium-sized, with plumbeous throat and chest hairs, medium to dark dorsal pelage, dark tail above, large hindfoot, small auditory bullae, long skull, and long slender rostrum. It is most similar to the White-throated Woodrat (N. albigula) and the White-toothed Woodrat (N. leucodon). Genetics, distributions, and subtle morphologic differences can be used to distinguish the Black-tailed Woodrat from the White-throated Woodrat and the White-toothed Woodrat. Although robust morphological diagnosis is lacking, early studies reported that the Black-tailed Woodrat, compared to the White-throated Woodrat, was smaller for some skull characteristics (particularly nasals and auditory bullae) and darker in color; throat and chest hairs on Black-tailed Woodrat tend to be more plumbeous as opposed to white, tail is darker above, and rostrum and palate are longer and more slender. Compared with the White-toothed Woodrat, the Black-tailed Woodrat is smaller in size for most skull characteristics (except size of auditory bullae and nasals) and is similar in color (tail, dorsum, throat, and chest); however, rostrum is more slender in the Black-tailed Woodrat than in the Whitetoothed Woodrat.

Habitat. [Lowland scrublands and coastal plains of the Sinaloan Biotic Province to foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

Food and Feeding. Probably similar to the White-throated Woodrat.

Breeding. Probably similar to the White-throated Woodrat.

Activity patterns. Probably similar to the White-throated Woodrat.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Probably similar to the Whitethroated Woodrat.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Little is known about the Black-tailed Woodrat, but given its somewhat restricted distribution, it is in need of a conservation assessment.

Bibliography. Alvarez-Castafieda et al. (2017), Bradley & Mauldin (2016), Edwards et al. (2001), Goldman (1905, 1910), Hall (1981), Merriam (1894b).