Cricetidae
Author
Don E. Wilson
Author
Russell A. Mittermeier
Author
Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
text
2017
2017-11-30
Lynx Edicions
Barcelona
Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 7 Rodents II
204
535
book chapter
80832
10.5281/zenodo.6707142
ab66b2b7-9544-4411-bf61-5bc3651d7bca
978-84-16728-04-6
6707142
238.
Salt-marsh Harvest Mouse
Reithrodontomys raviventris
French:
Souris-moissonneuse a ventre gris
/
German:
Salzsumpf-Ernttemaus
/
Spanish:
Raton espiguero de marisma
Taxonomy.
Reithrodontomys raviventris Dixon, 1908
,
“Redwood City, San Mateo County, Calif[ornia].,”
USA
.
Reithrodontomys raviventris
is in subgenus
Reithrodontomys
. Two subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
R.r.raviventrisDixon,1908—SportionofSanFranciscoBay,California(USA).
R. r. halicoetes Dixon, 1909
— N portion of San Francisco Bay,
California
(USA).
Descriptive notes.
Head—body 62-80 mm, tail 56-95 mm, hindfoot 20-22 mm; weight 8-15 g. Dorsum of the Saltmarsh Harvest Mouse has a mix of long,thick, blackish and cinnamon hairs. Tawny lateralstrip is present. Venter is white to cinnamon. Ears are blackish, with tuft of ocherous hair at bases. Tail is about as long as head-body and indistinctly bicolored.
Habitat.
Salt and brackish marshes dominated by grasses and species of
Salicornia (Amaranthaceae)
.
Food and Feeding.
The Salt-marsh Harvest Mouse reportedly eats glasswort (
Salicornia
) and tule (
Schoenoplectus
,
Cyperaceae
).
Breeding.
Reproductive activity is thought to occur in March-November. Average litter sizes are 3-7-3-9 young.
Activity patterns.
No information.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
No information.
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography.
Dixon (1908, 1909), Fisler (1965), Hooper (1952a), Shellhammer et al. (1982).