Peromyscus nicaraguae J. A. Allen (1908)

López, Celeste M., Turcios-Casco, Manfredo A., van den Berghe, Eric, Ordóñez-Garza, Nicté & Alvarez, Martin R., 2024, A Taxonomic Odyssey: An annotated checklist of Peromyscus (Cricetidae, Rodentia) in Honduras, ZooKeys 1218, pp. 315-332 : 315-332

Peromyscus nicaraguae J. A. Allen (1908)

Distribution.

Colón, Comayagua, Francisco Morazán, and Olancho departments (Fig. 4 ).

Ecoregions and elevation.

Central American montane, Atlantic moist forests, and pine-oak forests (1261–2030 m a. s. l.).

Comments.

Peromyscus nicaraguae , originally considered a distinct species, was later placed under P. mexicanus saxatilis . In a subsequent review, Musser (1969) reexamined the collections presented by Goodwin in 1942 in Honduras and determined that individuals previously identified as P. guatemalensis tropicalis Goodwin, 1932 should be reclassified as P. m. saxatilis, both taxa being part of the P. mexicanus group. A recent taxonomic assessment conducted by Pérez-Consuegra and Vázquez-Domínguez (2015) significantly revised the P. mexicanus species group. Three junior synonyms were elevated to independent species status: P. tropicalis (formerly P. g. tropicalis ), P. nicaraguae (previously P. mexicanus nicaraguae ), and P. salvadorensis ( Dickey 1928) (formerly P. mexicanus salvadorensis ) (Table 3 ), these changes were based on the synonymy of P. m. saxatilis provided by Trujano-Álvarez and Álvarez-Castañeda (2010). Bradley et al. (2016) reported the northernmost locality in Honduras for this species in Capiro and Calentura National Park, without providing coordinates; therefore, it was approximated. However, the elevations in this area range from 600–1200 m a. s. l., suggesting that the species may occur at lower elevations in Honduras.

Figures

Figure 4. Distribution of P. nicaraguae in Honduras.