230.

Baker’s Harvest Mouse

Reithrodontomys bakeri

French: Souris-moissonneuse de Baker / German: BakerErntemaus / Spanish: Raton espiguero de Baker

Other common names: Baker's Small-toothed Harvest Mouse

Taxonomy. Reithrodontomys bakeri Bradley et al., 2004, 4 mi (= 6- 4 km) SSW Filo de Caballo, Guerrero, Mexico.

Populations now assigned to this species previously were recognized as R. microdon wagneri, but assessment of morphological and genetic characteristics showed that populations in Guerrero, Mexico, represented a new endemic species. Reithrodontomys bakeri is in subgenus Aporodon. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to Sierra Madre del Sur in C Guerrero State (S Mexico).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 71-78 mm, tail 94-107 mm, ear 17-19 mm, hindfoot 17-19 mm; weight 20 g. Baker’s Harvest Mouse is a medium to large-sized species of Reithrodontomys . Dorsal pelage is brown to blackish at tips; however, sides and underlying pelage are tawny to orangish, giving an overall orangish appearance. Ventral pelage is white at tips and dark at bases. Feet have black stripe extending from ankles to toes. Tail is uniform gray, scantily haired at base, and more heavily haired at tip. Morphologically, Baker’s Harvest Mouse differs from the Small-toothed Harvest Mouse ( R. microdon) by having slightly larger ears, longer and broader rostrum (distally), longer palate, longer molar toothrow, broader zygomatic plate, and greater breadth of mesopterygoid fossa.

Habitat. Pine ( Pinus, Pinaceae) and oak ( Quercus, Fagaceae) habitats associated with cloud forests at elevations greater than 2150 m. Baker’s Harvest Mouse is endemic to montane regions of central Guerrero. It is currently known only from Filo de Caballo and Omiltemi, although it may occupy other montane regions in the same area.

Food and Feeding. Baker’s Harvest Mouse probably eats seeds, fruits, and leaves.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Baker’s Harvest Mouse has a restricted distribution, and its forest habitats are decreasing.

Bibliography. Bradley, Edwards et al. (2004), Ceballos & Bradley (2014).