Oryzomys couesi Alston 1876

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Cricetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 955-1189 : 1147

Oryzomys couesi Alston 1876

Oryzomys couesi Alston 1876 , Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1876: 756.

Type Locality: Guatemala, Alta Verapaz Dept., Cobán.

Vernacular Names: Coues' Oryzomys.

Synonyms: Oryzomys albiventer Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys antillarum Thomas 1898 ; Oryzomys apatelius Elliot 1904 ; Oryzomys aquaticus J. A. Allen 1891 ; Oryzomys aztecus Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys azuerensis Bole 1937 ; Oryzomys bulleri J. A. Allen 1897 ; Oryzomys cozumelae Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys crinitus Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys fulgens Thomas 1893 ; Oryzomys gatunensis Goldman 1912 ; Oryzomys goldmani Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys jalapae J. A. Allen and Chapman 1897 ; Oryzomys lambi Burt 1934 ; Oryzomys mexicanus J. A. Allen 1897 ; Oryzomys molestus Elliot 1903 ; Oryzomys peninsulae Thomas 1897 ; Oryzomys peragrus Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys pinicola A. Murie 1932 ; Oryzomys regillus Goldman 1915 ; Oryzomys richardsoni J. A. Allen 1910 ; Oryzomys richmondi Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys rufinus Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys rufus Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys teapensis Merriam 1901 ; Oryzomys zygomaticus Merriam 1901 .

Distribution: Extreme S Texas, USA; México, excluding NC plateau region, south through most of Central America (see Platt et al., 2000, for Belize records), to NW Colombia (see Hershkovitz, 1987); including Jamaica, Isla Cozumel, and allopatric populations in S Baja California Sur ( peninsulae ) and WC Sonora ( lambi ).

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Discussion:

Retained as a species by Goldman (1918) until Hall (1960) considered it only subspecifically distinct from O. palustris . Benson and Gehlbach (1979) returned O. couesi to specific status based on morphological contrasts with O. p. texensis in supposed area of intergradation; protein electrophoresis corroborates their lack of hybridization and genetic distinctiveness in sympatry ( Schmidt and Engstrom, 1994). Karyotype reported by Benson and Gehlbach (1979) and Haiduk et al. (1979); morphometric comparisons with O. palustris by Humphrey and Setzer (1989). Alvarez-Castañeda (1994) discussed the indigenous status and possible extinction of the population ( peninsulae ) isolated near the tip of Baja California.

Following Hall’s (1960) example, other insular or localized subspecies—namely, antillarum , azuerensis , cozumelae , fulgens , gatunensis , and peninsulae (see Handley, 1966 a; Hershkovitz, 1971; Jones and Lawlor, 1965)—were swept under O. palustris ; they are here included in O. couesi because of geographic proximity. A composite of at least three species, the Mesoamerican populations referred to " couesi ," as well as O. dimidiatus and O. gorgasi , should be critically reviewed (also see Sánchez et al., 2001)

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