Zapus
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| Zapus Fossil range: Early Pliocene to Recent |
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Zapus is a genus of North American jumping mice. It is the only genus whose members have the tooth formula I 1/1, C 0/0, P 1/0, M 3/3 = 18. Zapus are the only extant mammals with a total of 18 teeth (Schwartz and Schwartz, 1997).
[edit] Taxonomy
The genus contains three species:
- Zapus hudsonius (Meadow jumping mouse)
- Zapus hudsonius acadicus
- Zapus hudsonius adamsi
- Zapus hudsonius alascensis
- Zapus hudsonius americanus
- Zapus hudsonius campestris
- Zapus hudsonius canadensis
- Zapus hudsonius hudsonius
- Zapus hudsonius preblei
- Zapus hudsonius transitionalis
- Zapus princeps (Western jumping mouse)
- Zapus princeps chysogenys
- Zapus princeps cinereus
- Zapus princeps curtatus
- Zapus princeps idahoensis
- Zapus princeps kootenayensis
- Zapus princeps minor
- Zapus princeps oregonus
- Zapus princeps pacificus
- Zapus princeps princeps
- Zapus princeps saltator
- Zapus princeps utahensis
- Zapus trinotatus (Pacific Jumping Mouse)
- Zapus trinotatus eureka
- Zapus trinotatus montanus
- Zapus trinotatus orarius (Pt. Reyes Jumping Mouse?)
- Zapus trinotatus trinotatus
This genus was first separated from Old World jerboas by Coues in 1875. Members of this genus are very similar in appearance, all species having long tails, long hind feet and yellowish-brown pelage above and white below, the colors distinctly separated by a yellowish-orange lateral line.
[edit] References
- Allen, J. A. 1900. The North-American Jumping Mice. The American Naturalist, 34:399, pp. 199-202.
- Smithsonian. 1993. Mammal Species of the World.[1] Accessed 03 April 2007.
- Schwartz, C. W., E. R. Schwartz. 2001. The wild mammals of Missouri. University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri, USA. pp. 262-267.
