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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

Habromys, crested-tailed mice, Rodentia muridae

College

Life Sciences

Department

Biology

Abstract

Habromys (crested-tailed mice) is a rodent genus that historically has not been analyzed well enough to be accurately classified. Before 1980, Habromys had been relegated as a subgenus of Peromyscus (deer mice), a closely related genus. As a subgenus, Habromys consisted of only three arboreal species living in the cloud forests of Southern Mexico and Central America (P. simulatus, P. lophurus, and P. lepturus – Hooper and Musser, 1964; Hall, 1981; Musser, 1969). Despite the distinct morphological features of Habromys, it remained as a subgenus due to small sample size and limited morphological analysis. Upon more closely examining its morphology, M. Carleton elevated Habromys to generic status (1980) then later, when he described a new species, H. delicatulus, Carleton proposed Habromys consist of six distinct species (2002). Further, Carleton separated the genus into two morphological groups underscoring the geographic division on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec; H. simulatus, H. delicatulus, and H. chinanteco forming one group on the northwest side of the Isthmus and H. lophurus, H. lepturus, and H. ixtlani forming a group on the southeast side (2002).

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