Mexican Volcano Mouse
Encyclopedia
The Mexican Volcano Mouse (Neotomodon alstoni) is a species of rodent
in the family Cricetidae
endemic to high elevations of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
.
in 1979, then subsequently moved back to Neotomodon. Merriam does not state after whom the species is named in his original description for the genus (and species). Despite the current taxonomy, a recent phylogeny based on cytochrome-b sequences shows Peromyscus to be polyphyletic, and the authors of that paper suggest Neotomodon (and several other monotypic genera) be transferred to Peromyscus.
, but it is diagnosed by several skull characters including the number and extent of palatal ridges and molar characteristics.
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...
endemic to high elevations of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Trans-Mexican volcanic belt
The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt also known as the Transvolcanic Belt and locally as the Sierra Nevada , is a volcanic belt that extends 900 km from west to east across central-southern Mexico...
.
Taxonomy and Systematics
Merriam originally described the Mexican Volcano Mouse as one of three species in the genus Neotomodon; N. alstoni was moved to the deer mouse genus PeromyscusPeromyscus
The genus Peromyscus contains the animal species commonly referred to as deer mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus...
in 1979, then subsequently moved back to Neotomodon. Merriam does not state after whom the species is named in his original description for the genus (and species). Despite the current taxonomy, a recent phylogeny based on cytochrome-b sequences shows Peromyscus to be polyphyletic, and the authors of that paper suggest Neotomodon (and several other monotypic genera) be transferred to Peromyscus.
Characteristics
With relatively large eyes and ears, bi-colored body and tail (dark dorsally and white ventrally), and a tail slightly shorter than the body length, the Mexican Volcano Mouse appears very similar to a deer mousePeromyscus
The genus Peromyscus contains the animal species commonly referred to as deer mice. This is a genus of New World mouse only distantly related to the common house mouse and laboratory mouse, Mus musculus...
, but it is diagnosed by several skull characters including the number and extent of palatal ridges and molar characteristics.