291.

Durango Deermouse

Peromyscus schmidlyi

French: Péromyscus de Schmidly / German: Durango-Hirschmaus / Spanish: Raton ciervo de Durango

Other common names: Schmidly’'s Deermouse

Taxonomy. Peromyscus schmidlyi Bradley et al., 2004, 3-8 mi W Coyotes (Hacienda Coyotes), UTM 2634281-13-465908, Durango, Mexico.

Peromyscus schmidly: 1s in the boylii species group. It was formerly recognized as P. boylii rowleyi or P. b. levipes . Chromosomal and genetic data suggested thatit is a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Sierra Madre Occidental of E Sonora, SW Chihuahua, W Durango, E Sinaloa, and possibly NE Nayarit, Mexico.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 95-119 mm, tail 83-101 mm, ear 16-21 mm, hindfoot 20-23 mm; weight 19-30 g. The Durango Deermouse is medium-sized; dorsal pelage is mummy brown at tips and plumbeous black at bases. Sides are cinnamon-rufous. Venter is white at tips and plumbeous black at bases. Feet are white, with dark strip extending slightly past ankle. Tail is bicolored (blackish brown above and white below) and scantily haired at base and tuffed at tip. There are not sufficient diagnostic morphological differences to separate the Durango Deermouse from other species in the boylii species group occurring in western Mexico, butit resembles the Nimble-footed Deermouse ( P. levipes) and is slightly larger and darker than the Brush Deermouse form (P. boyliz rowleyr). Orbital region is hourglass-shaped and not angular as in the Gleaning Deermouse (PF. spicilegus).

Habitat. Pine-oak and oak-juniper forest at elevations greater than 2000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Durango Deermouse is presumably nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

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

Bibliography. Bradley, Carroll et al. (2004), Cabrera et al. (2007), Hall (1981), Musser & Carleton (2005), Ordonez-Garza & Bradley (2014).