272.

Stirton’s Deermouse

Peromyscus stirtoni

French: Péromyscus de Stirton / German: Stirton-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de Stirton

Other common names: Stirton's Mouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus stirtoni Dickey, 1928, Rio Goascoran, 100 ft (= 31 m), 13°30’N, [La Union Department, El Salvador.

Peromyscus stirtoni is in the mexicanus species group. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Guatemala, El Salvador, S Honduras, and NW Nicaragua.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 93-110 mm, tail 86-108 mm, ear 18-21 mm, hindfoot 22-24 mm; weight 28-31 g. Stirton’s Deermouse is one of the smallest members of the mexicanus species group, with ocherous buff to ocherous tawny dorsum, mixed with dusky hairs. Sides are buffy, and venter is whitish. Pectoral spotis often present. Hindfeet are white, and soles are nearly naked. Tail is distinctly bicolored (blackish or brownish above and yellowish white below), unblotched, and equal to head-body length. Tail is nearly naked, with c.15 annulations/cm.

Habitat. Arid and semiarid lowlands and probably low-elevation tropical deciduous forest.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Scrotal Stirton’s Deermice and a pregnant female were captured in April.

Activity patterns. Stirton’s Deermouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Dickey (1928a), Hall (1981), Huckaby (1980), Jones (1990), Musser & Carleton (2005).