260.

North-western Deermouse

Peromyscus keeni

French: Péromyscus de Keen / German: Nordwestliche Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo noroccidental

Other common names: Keen's Mouse

Taxonomy. Sitomys keeni Rhoads, 1894, Masset, Graham Island, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia, Canada.

Peromyscus keeni is in the maniculatus species group. It was considered a subspecies of P. maniculatus, but chromosome and DNA evidence supported recognition as a distinct species. This taxonomic revision resulted in 16 subspecies of P. maniculatus being realigned as subspecies of P. keeni . Eighteen subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.k.keeniRhoads,1894—GrahamandMoresbyIs,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.algidusOsgood,1909—extremeSWYukonandNWBritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.beresfordiGuiguet,1955—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityonBeresfordI,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.cancrivorusMcCabe&Cowan,1945—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityonTableI,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.doyleiMcCabe&Cowan,1945—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityonDoyleI,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.hylaeusOsgood,1908—areasimmediatelysurroundingthetypelocalityonPrinceofWalesI,Alaska,USA.

P.k.interdictusR.M.Anderson,1932—VancouverI,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.isolatusCowan,1935—PineandNigeiIs,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.macrorhinusRhoads,1894—WcoastofBritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.maritimusMcCabe&Cowan,1945—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityonMooreIs,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.oceanicusCowan,1935—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityonForresterI,Alaska,USA.

P.k.oreasBangs,1898—WWashington,USA.

P.k.pluvialisMcCabe&Cowan,1945—knownonlyfromthetypelocalityontheNislandofGooseIGroup,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.prevostensisOsgood,1901—Prevost[=Kunghit]IandsurroundingIs,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.rubiventerMcCabe&Cowan,1945—RuthIandsurroundingIs,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.sartinensisGuiguet,1955—knownonlyfromSartineI,BritishColumbia,Canada.

P.k.sitkensisMerriam,1897—BaranofIandsurroundingIs,Alaska,USA.

P. k. triangularis Guiguet, 1955 — known only from Triangle I, British Columbia, Canada.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 70-137 mm, tail 70-126 mm, ear 12-26 mm, hindfoot 19-32 mm; weight 15-52 g. The North-western Deermouse is medium-sized, with brown to dark brown dorsum and whitish venter. Tail is strongly bicolored (dark above and white below) and as long as head-body length. Ears are relatively large and naked. It differs from the North American Deermouse ( P. maniculatus) by being darker and having longertail.

Habitat. Typically upland thickets, secondary and old growth forests, and floodplains.

Food and Feeding. North-western Deermice eat seeds, fruits, plant material, fungi, and insects.

Breeding. Female North-western Deermice average 2-3 litters/year, with 2-5 young/ litter.

Activity patterns. The North-western Deermouse is nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Allard & Greenbaum (1988), Allard et al. (1987), Calhoun & Greenbaum (1991), Hogan et al. (1993), Lomolino & Perault (2007), Musser & Carleton (2005), Nagorsen (2002), Osgood (1909), Sullivan et al. (1990), Zheng Xiaoguang et al. (2003).