234.

Volcano Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys chrysopsis

French: Souris-moissonneuse des volcans / German: Vulkan-Erntemaus / Spanish: Raton espiguero de los volcanes

Taxonomy. Reithrodontomys chrysopsis Merriam, 1901, “Mt. Popocatapetl, Mexico.”

Reithrodontomys chrysopsis is in subgenus Aporodon. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

R.c.chrysopsisMerriam,1901—fromSEJaliscoEtoPueblastates(CMexico).

R. c. perotensis Merriam, 1901 — WC Veracruz State (EC Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 75-85 mm, tail 90-116 mm, ear 17-21 mm, hindfoot 17-21 mm; weight 14 g. The Volcano Harvest Mouse is medium-sized. Dorsum is black, interspersed with bright yellowish orange to reddish orange hairs;sides are mostly ocherousto buff; and venteris pinkish cinnamon. Ears are large and nearly black, with distinct and blackish rings. Tail is distinctly bicolored, black above and light below. Skull is typified by large, oval braincase.

Habitat. Cloud forests at elevations of 1830-4100 m. The Volcano Harvest Mouse is typically found in cold, wet forests of pine-fir, pine-oak, and montane grassland and shrubland (zacatonal), and in areas covered with ferns, mosses, and shrubs. It can also be found along hillsides and canyons within cloud forest habitat.

Food and Feeding. The Volcano Harvest Mouse eats seeds, grains, and green parts of grasses and other plants.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Volcano Harvest Mouse is nocturnal and arboreal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Volcano Harvest Mice construct spherical nests of grasses.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Populations of Volcano Harvest Mice are naturally limited to high-elevation habitats, and logging and other human activities might be conservation threats.

Bibliography. Ceballos & Galindo (1984), Hooper (1952a), Lira & Gaona (2014), Merriam (1901b).