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CHECK-LIST
The 146 kinds of native mammals of 120 species found in Tamaulipas belong to 72 genera of 25 families of 10 orders. Non-native mammals introduced by man are not included.
Class MAMMALIA
Order MARSUPIALIA
- Family Didelphidae PAGE
- Didelphis marsupialis californicus Bennett 393
- Didelphis marsupialis texensis J. A. Allen 394
- Philander opossum pallidus (J. A. Allen) 394
- Marmosa mexicana mexicana Merriam 395
Order INSECTIVORA
- Family Soricidae
- Sorex saussurei saussurei Merriam 396
- Cryptotis parva berlandieri (Baird) 396
- Cryptotis pergracilis pueblensis Jackson 396
- Cryptotis mexicana madrea Goodwin 396
- Notiosorex crawfordi (Coues) 397
- Family Talpidae
- Scalopus inflatus Jackson 397
Order CHIROPTERA
- Family Phyllostomatidae
- Pteronotus rubiginosus mexicana (Miller) 398
- Pteronotus davyi fulvus (Thomas) 398
- Choeronycteris mexicana Tschudi 399
- Mormoops megalophylla megalophylla (Peters) 399
- Micronycteris megalotis mexicana Miller 400
- Glossophaga sorocina leachii (Gray) 400
- Leptonycteris nivalis nivalis (Saussure) 401
- Sturnira lilium parvidens Goldman 401
- Artibeus jamaicensis jamaicensis Leach 402
- Artibeus lituratus palmarum Allen and Chapman 402
- Artibeus toltecus (Saussure) 403
- Artibeus aztecus Andersen 403
- Enchistenes hartii (Thomas) 404
- Centurio senex Gray 404
- Family Desmodontidae
- Desmodus rotundus murinus Wagner 405
- Diphylla ecaudata Spix 406
- Family Natalidae
- Natalus stramineus saturatus Dalquest and Hall 407
- Family Vespertilionidae
- Myotis velifer incautus (J. A. Allen) 407
- Myotis keenii auriculus Baker and Stains 408
- Myotis californicus mexicanus (Saussure) 408
- Myotis nigricans dalquesti Hall and Alvarez 409
- Pipistrellus subflavus subflavus (F. Cuvier) 409
- Pipistrellus hesperus potosinus Dalquest 410
- Eptesicus fuscus miradorensis (H. Allen) 410
- Lasiurus borealis borealis (Müller) 411
- Lasiurus borealis teliotis (H. Allen) 412
- Lasiurus cinereus cinereus (Palisot and Beauvois) 412
- Lasiurus intermedius intermedius H. Allen 412
- Lasiurus ega xanthinus (Thomas) 413
- Nycticeus humeralis humeralis (Rafinesque) 413
- Nycticeus humeralis mexicanus Davis 413
- Rhogeëssa tumida tumida H. Allen 414
- Plecotus phyllotis (G. M. Allen) 415
- Antrozous pallidus pallidus (Le Conte) 415
- Family Molossidae
- Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana (Saussure) 415
- Tadarida aurispinosa (Peale) 415
- Tadarida laticaudata ferruginea Goodwin 416
- Molossus ater nigricans Miller 417
Order PRIMATES
- Family Cebidae
- Ateles geoffroyi velerosus Gray 417
Order EDENTATA
- Family Dasypodidae
- Dasypus novemcinctus mexicanus Peters 418
Order LAGOMORPHA
- Family Leporidae
- Sylvilagus brasiliensis truei (J. A. Allen) 418
- Sylvilagus audubonii parvulus (J. A. Allen) 418
- Sylvilagus floridanus chapmani (J. A. Allen) 419
- Sylvilagus floridanus connectens (Nelson) 419
- Lepus californicus altamirae Nelson 420
- Lepus californicus curti Hall 420
- Lepus californicus merriami Mearns 421
Order RODENTIA
- Family Sciuridae
- Spermophilus mexicanus parvidens Mearns 421
- Spermophilus spilosoma oricolus Alvarez 422
- Spermophilus variegatus couchii Baird 422
- Sciurus aureogaster aureogaster Cuvier 423
- Sciurus deppei negligens Nelson 424
- Sciurus alleni Nelson 424
- Glaucomys volans herreranus Goldman 425
- Family Geomyidae
- Geomys personatus personatus True 425
- Geomys tropicalis Goldman 426
- Heterogeomys hispidus negatus Goodwin 427
- Cratogeomys castanops planifrons Nelson and Goldman 428
- Cratogeomys castanops tamaulipensis Nelson and Goldman 428
- Family Heteromyidae
- Perognathus merriami merriami J. A. Allen 429
- Perognathus hispidus hispidus Baird 429
- Perognathus nelsoni nelsoni Merriam 430
- Dipodomys ordii durranti Setzer 431
- Dipodomys ordii parvabullatus Hall 431
- Dipodomys ordii compactus True 431
- Dipodomys merriami atronasus Merriam 432
- Liomys irroratus alleni (Coues) 433
- Liomys irroratus texensis Merriam 433
- Family Castoridae
- Castor canadensis mexicanus V. Bailey 434
- Family Cricetidae
- Oryzomys palustris aquaticus J. A. Allen 435
- Oryzomys palustris peragrus Merriam 435
- Oryzomys melanotis carrorum Lawrence 436
- Oryzomys melanotis rostratus Merriam 437
- Oryzomys alfaroi huastecae Dalquest 437
- Oryzomys fulvescens fulvescens (Saussure) 438
- Oryzomys fulvescens engracie Osgood 438
- Reithrodontomys megalotis hooperi Goodwin 438
- Reithrodontomys fulvescens griseoflavus Merriam 438
- Reithrodontomys fulvescens intermedius J. A. Allen 439
- Reithrodontomys fulvescens tropicalis Davis 439
- Reithrodontomys mexicanus mexicanus (Saussure) 440
- Peromyscus maniculatus blandus Osgood 440
- Peromyscus melanotis J. A. Allen and Chapman 440
- Peromyscus leucopus texanus (Woodhouse) 441
- Peromyscus boylii ambiguus Alvarez 443
- Peromyscus boylii levipes Merriam 443
- Peromyscus pectoralis collinus Hooper 444
- Peromyscus pectoralis eremicoides Osgood 445
- Peromyscus melanophrys consobrinus Osgood 445
- Peromyscus difficilis petricola Hoffmeister and de la Torre 446
- Peromyscus ochraventer Baker 446
- Baiomys taylori taylori (Thomas) 447
- Onychomys leucogaster longipes Merriam 447
- Onychomys torridus subrufus Hollister 448
- Sigmodon hispidus berlandieri Baird 449
- Sigmodon hispidus solus Hall 450
- Sigmodon hispidus toltecus (Saussure) 450
- Neotoma albigula subsolana Alvarez 450
- Neotoma angustapalata Baker 451
- Neotoma micropus littoralis Goldman 453
- Neotoma micropus micropus Baird 453
- Microtus mexicanus subsimus Goldman 454
Order CARNIVORA
- Family Canidae
- Canis latrans microdon Merriam 454
- Canis latrans texensis V. Bailey 455
- Canis lupus monstrabilis Goldman 455
- Urocyon cinereoargenteus scottii Mearns 455
- Family Ursidae
- Ursus americanus eremicus Merriam 456
- Family Procyonidae
- Bassariscus astutus flavus Rhoads 456
- Procyon lotor fuscipes Mearns 457
- Procyon lotor hernandezii Wagler 457
- Nasua narica molaris Merriam 458
- Potos flavus aztecus Thomas 458
- Family Mustelidae
- Mustela frenata frenata Lichtenstein 458
- Mustela frenata tropicalis (Merriam) 459
- Eira barbara senex (Thomas) 459
- Taxidea taxus berlandieri Baird 460
- Taxidea taxus littoralis Schantz 460
- Spilogale putorius interrupta (Rafinesque) 461
- Mephitis mephitis varians Gray 461
- Mephitis macroura macroura Lichtenstein 461
- Conepatus mesoleucus mearnsi Merriam 462
- Conepatus leuconotus texensis Merriam 462
- Family Felidae
- Felis concolor stanleyana Goldman 462
- Felis onca veraecrucis Nelson and Goldman 463
- Felis pardalis albescens Pucheran 463
- Felis wiedii oaxacensis Nelson and Goldman 464
- Felis yagouaroundi cacomitli Berlandier 464
- Lynx rufus texensis J. A. Allen 464
Order SIRENIA
- Family Trichechidae
- Trichechus manatus latirostris (Harlan) 465
Order ARTIODACTYLA
- Family Tayassuidae
- Tayassu tajacu angulatus (Cope) 465
- Family Cervidae
- Odocoileus hemionus crooki (Mearns) 465
- Odocoileus virginianus miquihuanensis Goldman and Kellogg 466
- Odocoileus virginianus texanus (Mearns) 466
- Odocoileus virginianus veraecrucis Goldman and Kellogg 466
- Mazama americana temama (Kerr) 466
- Family Antilocapridae
- Antilocapra americana mexicana Merriam 467
ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES
Didelphis marsupialis
Opossum
The opossum occurs throughout Tamaulipas but is commonest in the south, especially in the areas of tropical forest and along water courses. Most of the specimens examined were caught in steel traps baited with remains of small animals (mostly mammals and birds, but one trap was baited with the head of a black bass). At Villa Mainero five individuals were caught in one night in five of seven traps scented with spilogale musk. These traps were set in runways along a thick thorn-brush fence, which separated a cornfield from thorn-brush desert. Along the Río Purificación 36 kilometers north and 10 kilometers west of Victoria an opossum was eaten in a trap by a small carnivore, probably a felid judging from tracks around the trap.
A female with 14 pouch young was taken in June in the Sierra de Tamaulipas and weighed 1350 grams; a March-taken female with nine small young in her pouch, from Soto la Marina, weighed 1800 grams. A male from the Sierra de Tamaulipas also weighed 1800 grams.
Didelphis marsupialis californica Bennett
1833. Didelphis Californica Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 40, May 17, type locality restricted to Sonora by Hershkovitz (infra).
1951. Didelphis marsupialis californica, Hershkovitz Fieldiana-Zool., Chicago Nat. Hist. Mus., 31(47):548, July 10.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Southeastern part of state, north at least to Soto la Marina.
In studying Tamaulipan specimens, I was mindful that Hershkovitz (1951:550) regarded all opossums of this species in México as a single subspecies, even though J. A. Allen (1901) recognized two subspecies in the northeastern part of the Republic. According to Allen (p. 172), D. m. texensis (to which he ascribed a distribution in Texas and adjoining Tamaulipas) was described as: "Similar in coloration to D. marsupialis (typica) [D. m. californica], but with a relatively longer tail, longer nasals, usually terminating posteriorly in an acute angle, instead of being rounded or more or less abruptly truncated on the posterior border." The available material from Tamaulipas can be divided into two groups on the basis of shape and proportion of the nasals. In opossums from the southeast the nasals are truncate posteriorly and average 47.0 (45.1-48.4) per cent of the condylobasal length, whereas in specimens from elsewhere the nasals are acute posteriorly and average 50.7 (49.7-51.8) per cent of the condylobasal length. Tentatively, therefore, I follow Allen in recognizing two subspecies in northeastern México.
I note no especial difference in length of tail between texensis and californica. Hooper (1951:3) followed Hershkovitz in reporting as californica a specimen from Rancho del Cielo; to me, specimens from this area are referable to texensis.
One of the specimens from two miles south and 10 miles west of Piedra (54917) has a supernumerary tooth lingual and anterior to the last upper molar. The tooth is small (2.7 mm. long) and peglike.
Records of occurrence.—Specimens examined, 8: 3 mi. N Soto la Marina, 1; 2 mi. S, 10 mi. W Piedra, 12,000 ft., 7.
Additional records: Matamoros (Baird, 1858:234); Altamira (J. A. Allen, 1901:167).
Didelphis marsupialis texensis J. A. Allen
1901. Didelphis marsupialis texensis J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Hist., 14:172, June 15, type from Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Northern, central and southwestern parts of state.
Records of occurrence.—Specimens examined, 7: San Fernando, 180 ft., 1; Villa Mainero, 1700 ft., 2; 36 km. N, 10 km. W Cd. Victoria (1 km. E El Barretal), on Río Purificación, 1; 12 km. N, 4 km. W Cd. Victoria, 1; Ejido Santa Isabel (12 km. S Llera), 2 km. W Pan-American Highway, 2000 ft., 1; 4 mi. N Jaumave, 2500 ft., 1.
Additional records: Matamoros (J. A. Allen, 1901:173); El Mulato, San Carlos Mts. (Dice, 1937:249); Rancho del Cielo (Hooper, 1953:3).
Philander opossum pallidus (J. A. Allen)
Four-eyed Opossum
1901. Metachirus fuscogriseus pallidus J. A. Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 14:215, July 3, type from Orizaba, Veracruz.
1955. Philander opossum pallidus, Miller and Kellogg, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 205:8, March 3.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from along eastern side of Sierra Madre Oriental, north to vicinity of La Purisima.
In Tamaulipas, the four-eyed opossum is seemingly common at relatively low elevations in the Tropical Deciduous Forest along the eastern side of the Sierra Madre Oriental, but the species is not restricted to this area as one specimen is available from a place seven kilometers southwest of La Purisima, in the drier forest of west-central Tamaulipas. The highest elevation at which individuals have been taken in the state is approximately 2500 feet.
Specimens obtained two kilometers west of El Carrizo were caught in steel traps that were baited with the bodies of small birds and mammals and that were set in trails leading through a fence of piled logs that separated a cornfield from adjacent forest. At Rancho Pano Ayuctle, some individuals were trapped in steel sets baited with scraps of meat; others were shot at night in the forest along the Río Sabinas. Schaldach reported in his notes that four-eyed opossums robbed trap lines set for small mammals at Rancho Pano Ayuctle. W. W. Dalquest trapped an individual seven kilometers southwest of La Purisima using the body of an armadillo as bait. The natives of southern Tamaulipas refer to this animal as "tlacuache cuatrojos."
Tamaulipan specimens of P. o. pallidus differ from topotypes and other specimens from the vicinity of the type locality in averaging somewhat paler dorsally and slightly smaller in cranial dimensions when specimens of equal age are compared. They differ also in having a longer terminal area of white on the tail, 53.1 per cent (43.3-62.8) of the length of the tail in 13 specimens from Tamaulipas, and 38.7 (30.9-48.2) per cent in 14 specimens from the vicinity of the type locality of pallidus in Veracruz; specimens from northern Veracruz are intermediate between the two mentioned populations in amount of white on the tail. Baker (1951:210) noted that the specimens from two kilometers west of El Carrizo had "proportionately longer tails than typical P. o. pallidus from central Veracruz," but I do not find this character to be consistent in the more abundant material now available.
Measurements.—External and cranial measurements of three adults, a male and female from Rancho Pano Ayuctle and a male from two kilometers west of El Carrizo, respectively, are as follows: 577, 580, 568; 294, 288, 290; 46, 43, 43; 40, 42, 37; condylobasal length, ——, 70.1, 69.9; palatal length, 43.2, 42.3, 41.9; lambdoidal breadth, 23.6, 22.0, 22.7; alveolar length of maxillary tooth-row, 29.5, 28.4, 29.0.
Records of occurrence.—Specimens examined, 15: 7 km. SW La Purisima, 1; Rancho Pano Ayuctle, 6 mi. N Gómez Farías, 300 ft., 1; Rancho Pano Ayuctle, 25 mi. N Mante and 3 km. W Pan-American Highway, 300 ft., 7; 10 km. N, 8 km. W El Encino, 400 ft., 3; 2 km. W El Carrizo, 2500 ft., 3 (one specimen deposited in Instituto de Biología, México).
Marmosa mexicana mexicana Merriam
Mexican Mouse-opossum
1897. Marmosa murina mexicana Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 11:44, March 16, type from Juquila, 1500 m., Oaxaca.
1902. Marmosa mexicana, Bangs, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 39:19, April.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from Aserradero del Infernillo (Goodwin, 1954:3) in southwestern part of state.
Marmosa has been reported from Tamaulipas only by Goodwin (1954:3), who examined "15 rami, and one fragment of maxillary" that were found in a cave. Possibly they were remains from owl pellets.
Sorex saussurei saussurei Merriam
Saussure's Shrew
1892. Sorex saussurei Merriam, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 7:173, September 29, type from N slope Sierra Nevada de Colima, approximately 8000 ft., Jalisco.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from Miquihuana.
Jackson (1928:156) reported four specimens from Miquihuana, which he incorrectly located in Nuevo León.
Cryptotis parva berlandieri (Baird)
Least Shrew
1858. Blarina berlandieri Baird, Mammals, in Repts. Expl. Surv. ..., 8(1):53, July 14, type from Matamoros, Tamaulipas.
1941. Cryptotis parva berlandieri, Davis, Jour. Mamm., 22:413, November 13.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Throughout state.
A female taken on July 5, one mile south of Altamira, carried three embryos 5 mm. in crown-rump length. A female from the same locality and another taken on June 6 in the Sierra de Tamaulipas were lactating. Weight of each of six males was 5.0 grams.
Records of occurrence.—Specimens examined, 9: Sierra de Tamaulipas, 10 mi. W, 2 mi. S Piedra, 1200 ft., 1; 1 mi. S Altamira, 8.
Additional records: Matamoros (Baird, 1858:53); 9 km. N Rancho Tigre (Goodwin, 1954:3).
Cryptotis pergracilis pueblensis Jackson
Slender Small-eared Shrew
1933. Cryptotis pergracilis pueblensis Jackson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 46:79, April 27, type from Huachinango, 5000 ft., Puebla.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from Aserradero del Paraiso.
The only report from Tamaulipas of this small shrew is that of Goodwin (1954:3) who listed a cranium and mandible, possibly of the same individual, found on the floor of a cave. Goodwin referred the remains to pueblensis because of the "noticeably broader and heavier rostrum than in ... C. parva berlandieri from Rancho Tigre."
Cryptotis mexicana madrea Goodwin
Mexican Small-eared Shrew
1954. Cryptotis mexicana madrea Goodwin, Amer. Mus. Novit., 1670:1, June 28, type from Rancho del Cielo, 5 mi. NW Gómez Farías, 3500 ft., Tamaulipas.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from the type locality and vicinity thereof.
This subspecies is known only from two complete specimens, six crania and four rami collected in two different localities—the type locality and Aserradero del Infernillo, only seven kilometers from the type locality. All the specimens were examined and reported by Goodwin (1954:1; 1954:4). The type specimen "was taken in a low section of an overgrown ditch" and the other complete specimen was trapped in a stone wall that separated an orchard from a pasture. The six skulls were found in owl pellets.
Notiosorex crawfordi (Coues)
Crawford's Desert Shrew
1877. Sorex (Notiosorex) crawfordi Coues, Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Territories, 3:651, May 15, type from near old Fort Bliss, approximately 2 mi. above El Paso, El Paso Co., Texas.
1895. Notiosorex crawfordi, Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 10:32, Dec. 31.
Distribution in Tamaulipas.—Known only from two localities in southwestern part of state.
The two specimens examined were collected in July, one in tropical forest and the other in pine-oak forest; each was a lactating female and each weighed 5 grams.
Judging from Merriam's (1895:32) description, the two females differ from the type and three specimens from San Diego, Texas, in having a unicolored tail and in being slightly larger externally. When more abundant material is available the Notiosorex crawfordi of northeastern México probably will be found to represent a new subspecies; for the present I follow Findley (1955:616) in referring Tamaulipan specimens to N. crawfordi.
Measurements.—External measurements of the specimens from Jaumave and Palmillas, respectively: 90, 90; 28, 31; 11, 11.5; 8, 8. For cranial measurements see Findley (1955:32).
Records of occurrence.—Specimens examined, 2: Jaumave, 2400 ft., 1; Palmillas, 4400 ft., 1.
Scalopus inflatus Jackson
Tamaulipan Mole
1914. Scalopus inflatus Jackson, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, 27:21, February 2, type from Tamaulipas, 45 miles from Brownsville, Texas.