Heteromys gaumeri J. A. Allen & Chapman 1897
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 gaumeri

description: 12.
Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse
Heteromys gaumeri
French: Souris-a-ajaboues de Gaumer / German: Gaumer-Stacheltaschenmaus / Spanish: Raton espinoso de Gaumer
Taxonomy. Heteromys gaumeri J. A. Allen & Chapman, 1897,
Chichén-Itza, Yucatan, Mexico.
This species is sister-taxon to the desmarestianus species group and is considered to be in its own species group. Monotypic.
Distribution. SE Mexico, N Belize, and N Guatemala (Yucatan Peninsula).
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 125 mm (males) and 123 mm (females), tail mean 151 mm (males) and 146 mm (females), ear mean 16 mm, hindfoot mean 34 mm; weight 43-70 g. Male Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mice are somewhat larger than females. It is a scansorial rodent, mediums-sized for the genus, with coarse adult pelage having abundant stiff, flattened spine-like hairs on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body. Upper parts are orange-buff to gray, with heavy admixture of ocherous hairs. Broad, bright ocherous lateral line extends onto cheeks and ankles, and belly is white. Ears are dusky and lightly edged with dull white. Posterior parts of soles of hindfeet are lightly haired, and soles of hindfeet have six tubercles. Tail is well haired and bicolor, with conspicuous terminal tuft of hairs. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 56 and FN = 76. Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is smaller in most external and cranial measurements compared with Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse (H. desmarestianus), but it has relatively large auditory bullae and a broad, bright ocherous lateral line that extends onto cheeks and ankles. When Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse co-occurs with Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse, this lateral line is thin and seldom extends onto cheeks and ankles.
Habitat. Variety of forested habitats on the Yucatan Peninsula from sea levelto elevations of ¢.100 m, in northern Guatemala and northern Belize and the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Yucatan. These habitats range from medium-height, subdeciduous and subperennial tropical rainforest on the south and east to short tropical deciduous forest and thorn forest in the north and north-west. Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse often is common in cultivated areas, and it has been reported in herbaceous vegetation along roadsides and bordering sugarcane fields, dense thorn forest surrounding corn fields, secondary deciduous forest and brushy areas near a river, along fallen logs and in dense vegetation within primary forest, and deciduous seasonal forest. Where Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse co-occurs with Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse on the Yucatan Peninsula, it inhabits lowland dry forest and thorn forest whereas Desmarest’s Spiny Pocket Mouse inhabits humid, forested habitat.
Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.
Breeding. Breeding season begins near the end of the dry season in April and continues through the wet season, perhaps ending in January. Females in all stages of reproduction are present in one population at one time. Littersizes are 2-5 young.
Activity patterns. Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is nocturnal and terrestrial.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Gaumer’s Spiny Pocket Mouse is solitary. Individuals fight viciously if introduced in captivity, and they probably maintain exclusive territories in the wild.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Last.
Bibliography. Best (1993a), Ceballos & Oliva (2005), Jones et al. (1974), Rogers & Gonzalez (2010), Schmidt et al. (1989), Vazquez, Emmons, Reid & Cuarén (2008a), 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 page 199, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6611160