Heteromys desmarestianus Gray 1868
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Heteromyidae
Heteromys
Heteromys desmarestianus

description: 13.
Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse
Heteromys desmarestianus
French: Souris-a-ajaboues de Desmarest / German: Desmarest-Stacheltaschenmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Desmarest
Taxonomy. Heteromys desmarestianus Gray, 1868,
“Coban [Coban], Departamento de Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.”
This species is often referred to as a “species complex” because several authors have suggested that it actually represents multiple, morphologically cryptic species.
It is a member of the desmarestianus species group, which includes H. desmarestianus, H. goldmani, H. nubicolens, and H. oresterus.
Based on mtDNA and nDNA gene sequences, as many as five potential species have been proposed within H. desmarestianus: a disjunct population from cloud forest of the Darién of eastern Panama (crassirostris, 2n and FN unknown); a related and geographically closest form from humid forests in the Pacific lowlands of north-western Panama and adjacent Costa Rica (chiriquensis and repens; 2n = 60, FN = 90), which together with the first form are basal to all other desmarestianus and H. goldmani; a form from humid forests in the Caribbean lowlands of north-eastern Costa Rica (H. d. ssp.?; 2n = 60, FN = 86) thatis basal to remaining desmarestianus and H. goldmani; a form found in the north-western limit of the species’ geographical distribution in lowto mid-elevation humid forests of Oaxaca and Veracruz (lepturus, 2n = 60, FN = 82 or 86) that is basal to remaining desmarestianus and H. goldmani; and remaining populations of desmarestianus, distributed from southern Mexico to central Costa Rica (2n = 60, FN = 67-86) that are a sister-taxon to Goldman's Spiny Pocket Mouse. Allozyme and morphometric patterns generally support these relationships. Heteromys goldmani was initially described as a species, then subsumed under H. d. desmarestianus on the basis of external, cranial, and bacular morphology, and then again recognized as a distinct species based on karyotype,fixed allozymic differences, and molecular sequence distance. Eleven subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
H.d.desmarestianusGray,1868—SMexico(SofVeracruzandTabasco),Guatemala,Belize,andElSalvador(humidforestedmountainslopesandcoastalplains).
H.d.chiriquensisEnders,1938—SECostaRicaandWCPanama(1150-1600m).
H.d.crassirostrisGoldman,1912—extremeEPanamaandNWColombia(humidforestedmountainslopesandcoastalplains,1350-1600m).
H.d.fuscatusJ.A.Allen,1908—S,W&SEHondurasandCNicaragua.
H.d.panamensisGoldman,1912—NCPanama(610-910m).
H.d.planifronsGoldman,1937—WCostaRica(lowlands).
H.d.repensBangs,1902—SWPanama.
H.d.subaffinisGoldman,1937—NECostaRica(lowlands).
H.d.temporalisGoldman,1911—SMexicoinCVeracruz(forestedEbasalslopesofmountains,210-460m).
H.d.underwoodiGoodwin,1943—CCostaRica(1350-1700m).
H. d. zonalis Goldman, 1912 —= NW, C, and into E Panama.
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 133 mm (males) and 130 mm (females), tail mean 148 mm (males) and 142 mm (females), ear mean 16 mm, hindfoot mean 34 mm; weight 61-83 g. Male Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mice somewhat larger than females. It is a scansorial rodent, medium-sized for the genus, with coarse adult pelage having abundant stiff, flattened spine-like hairs on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body. Upperparts are gray to slate black with a sprinkling of ocherous hairs. Buffy lateral line is occasionally present, never pronounced, and belly is white. Ears lack white edging. Posterior parts of soles of hindfeet are naked. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 60 and FN = 67-90.
Habitat. Lowto mid-elevation humid forests from Veracruz and Oaxaca in southern Mexico to cloud forests in eastern Panama, from sea level to elevations of ¢.2400 m. Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse favors habitats with abundant palms. Burrow entrances are usually vertical (compared to a 45° angle in deermice, Peromyscus), and nests have been found aboveground in hollow logs. Where Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse co-occurs with Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse (H. gaumeri) on the Yucatan Peninsula, that species inhabits lowland dry forest and thorn forest whereas Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse inhabits humid, forested habitat.
Food and Feeding. Diet of Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse consists mainly of seeds, butfruit, green vegetation, and insects are also eaten. Food is collected in external, furlined cheek pouches, stored in surface caches, or returned to the burrow for storage in chambers. Like other tropical heteromyids, Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is unable to cope with water deprivation. Seeds eaten include palm nuts (Socratea, Euterpe, Welfia, Geonoma, and Iriartea, all Arecaceae) those of meliosma (Meliosma, Sabiaceae), wild nutmeg (Virola, Myristicaceae); and poisonous seeds of the guanacaste or elephant-ear tree (Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Fabaceae), oil tree (Pentaclethra, Fabaceae), and Nectandra ambigens (Lauraceae).
Breeding. Breeding season of Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse appears to be shorter (7-8 months) in seasonal than in non-seasonal wet forests (essentially year-round). Juveniles mature sexually in the reproductive season following their birth, at an age of c.8 months. Annual survival is 0-2—0-31, and adultlife span is 24-27 months. Females produce up to five litters with an average of 3-1 young/litter; interval between successive pregnanciesis aslittle as two months.
Activity patterns. Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial, butit is reportedly a good climber.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse appears to have evolved toward a “loose” type of social organization, with extensive overlap of home ranges, tolerance of conspecifics, and dominance hierarchies less influenced by body size. Conspecific intolerance increases as environments become more seasonal. Home ranges are 0-08-0-2 ha, with overlap within and between sexes and age classes. Densities of Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse vary significantly between sites, across seasons, and annually (e.g. 2-50 ind/ha and 3-25 ind/ha at two sites), generally peaking during the dry season.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography. Anderson et al. (2006), Ceballos & Oliva (2005), Eisenberg (1963), Rogers (1990), Rogers & Gonzalez (2010), Rogers & Schmidly (1982), Sanchez-Cordero & Fleming (1993), Timm et al. (2008), Williams et al. (1993).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Heteromyidae, pp. 170-233 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 199-200, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6611160