Blackish Deer Mouse
Encyclopedia
The blackish deermouse (Peromyscus furvus) is a species of rodent
in the family Cricetidae
. It is found only in Mexico
, and is relatively poorly studied.
, with a total length of 24 to 28 cm (9.4 to 11 ), including the 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 ) tail; males are slightly larger then females. As the common name implies, the fur over most of the head and body is a mixture of black and dark brown, giving the animal an overall color that has been described as "bistre
". However, the feet, and also, in some cases, the tip of the tail, are white, and the underparts are pale grey. There is a ring of pure black fur around the eyes, while the tail has only a sparse covering of hair. The female has six teats, two in the axillary region, and four in the inguinal
region.
It is herbivorous
, and has been recorded as eating pokeweed
fruit and blackberries
. They are believed to either breed year-round, or, at least, to have a prolonged breeding season that lasts for much of the year.
, where it inhabits cloud forest
s, and in nearby forests dominated by oak
and pine
. It prefers environments with heavy undergrowth or cover in the form of rocky cliffs, small caves, or fallen logs. Although its exact range is unclear, it has been collected from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental
mountains between 650 and 2900 m (2,132.5 and 9,514.4 ) elevation, from San Luis Potosi
in the north to Oaxaca
in the south..
There are no formally recognised subspecies, although genetic analysis of specimens collected in Oaxaca
has shown that these may represent an entirely separate species, which has yet to be scientifically described.
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
in the family Cricetidae
Cricetidae
The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, and New World rats and mice...
. It is found only in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, and is relatively poorly studied.
Description
The blackish deermouse is a relatively large member of its genusGenus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
, with a total length of 24 to 28 cm (9.4 to 11 ), including the 11 to 14 cm (4.3 to 5.5 ) tail; males are slightly larger then females. As the common name implies, the fur over most of the head and body is a mixture of black and dark brown, giving the animal an overall color that has been described as "bistre
Bistre
Bistre is either: 1) A shade of gray, 2) A shade of brown made from soot, and 3) The name for a color resembling the pigment. Bistre's appearance is generally of a dark grayish brown, with a yellowish cast....
". However, the feet, and also, in some cases, the tip of the tail, are white, and the underparts are pale grey. There is a ring of pure black fur around the eyes, while the tail has only a sparse covering of hair. The female has six teats, two in the axillary region, and four in the inguinal
Inguinal
In human anatomy, the inguinal region refers to either the groin or the lower lateral regions of the abdomen. It may also refer to:* Conjoint tendon, previously known as the inguinal aponeurotic falx, a structure formed from the transversus abdominis insertion into the pecten pubis* Granuloma...
region.
It is herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
, and has been recorded as eating pokeweed
Pokeweed
The pokeweeds, also known as pokebush, pokeberry, pokeroot, poke sallet, polk salad, polk salat, polk sallet, inkberry or ombú, comprise the genus Phytolacca, perennial plants native to North America, South America, East Asia and New Zealand...
fruit and blackberries
Blackberry
The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...
. They are believed to either breed year-round, or, at least, to have a prolonged breeding season that lasts for much of the year.
Distribution and habitat
The blackish deermouse is endemic to MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, where it inhabits cloud forest
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
s, and in nearby forests dominated by oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
. It prefers environments with heavy undergrowth or cover in the form of rocky cliffs, small caves, or fallen logs. Although its exact range is unclear, it has been collected from the eastern slopes of the Sierra Madre Oriental
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...
mountains between 650 and 2900 m (2,132.5 and 9,514.4 ) elevation, from San Luis Potosi
San Luis Potosí
San Luis Potosí officially Estado Libre y Soberano de San Luis Potosí is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 58 municipalities and its capital city is San Luis Potosí....
in the north to Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
in the south..
There are no formally recognised subspecies, although genetic analysis of specimens collected in Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
has shown that these may represent an entirely separate species, which has yet to be scientifically described.