Peromyscus stephani Townsend 1912

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 : 1078

Peromyscus stephani Townsend 1912

Peromyscus stephani Townsend 1912 , Bull. Am. Mus . Nat. Hist., 31: 126.

Type Locality: México, Sonora, San Esteban Isl, 28°34'N, 113°21'W.

Vernacular Names: San Esteban Deermouse.

Distribution: Known only from Isla San Esteban.

Conservation: IUCN – Endangered.

Discussion: P. boylii species group. Lawlor (1971a) demonstrated the boylii -like traits of P. stephani , which was previously classified in the subgenus Haplomylomys (Hooper, 1968) , and favored its recognition as species. Electrophoretic investigations have sustained this affinity and status (Avise et al., 1974), but mitochondrial COIII gene sequences imply subspecific recognition within P. boylii ( Hafner et al., 2001) . In a denser taxonomic survey of boylii group forms, using the cytochrome b gene and including several subspecies of P. boylii sensu stricto, Tiemann-Boege et al. (2000) viewed P. stephani as sister taxon to the P. boylii and P. simulus clade and argued its status as species, an interpretation that best reflects the information sources so far consulted.