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Comments on the Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution of Some North American Rodents

Chapter 3: Transmitted July 30, 1952.
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The paper reviews subspecific taxonomy and geographic ranges of several North American rodents by reexamining museum specimens and contrasting them with prior literature. The authors compare pelage characters, skull measurements, and patterns of geographic continuity or isolation to resolve conflicting identifications and, where warranted, recommend alternative subspecific referrals. Multiple cases are treated — including marmots, rock squirrels, chipmunks, and jumping mice — with detailed specimen-based comparisons and locality reasoning used to clarify ambiguous distributions and to justify the proposed taxonomic adjustments.

Zapus princeps idahoensis Davis

Preble (N. Amer. Fauna, 15:23, August 8, 1899) referred two specimens from Henry House and three from 15 miles south of Henry House, both localities in Alberta, Canada, to the subspecies Zapus princeps princeps. Subsequently, when Z. p. kootenayensis (Anderson, Nat. Mus. Canada, Ann. Rept. 1931, p. 108, November 24, 1932) and Z. p. idahoensis (Davis, Jour. Mamm., 15(3):221, August 10, 1934) were named, no mention was made of these specimens although the ranges assigned to Z. p. kootenayensis and Z. p. idahoensis seemed to isolate the Henry House area from the remainder of the range (as recorded) of Z. p. princeps. We have examined the pertinent specimens in the U. S. Biological Surveys Collection (75452 and 75453 from Henry House; 81509-81510 from 15 mi. S Henry House). On the basis of paler color, reduced lateral line, smaller skull, shorter palatal bridge and zygomatic arches, they are, among named subspecies, best referred to Zapus princeps idahoensis.

Transmitted July 30, 1952.