Taxonomy, distribution, and natural history of the genus Heteromys (Rodentia, Heteromyidae) in western Venezuela : with the description of a dwarf species from the Península de Paraguaná. American Museum novitates ; no. 3396

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dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Robert P.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2005-10-06T16:39:29Z
dc.date.available2005-10-06T16:39:29Z
dc.date.issued2003en_US
dc.description43 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 26 cm.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (p. 29-34).en_US
dc.description.abstractHeteromys anomalus is widely distributed along the Caribbean coast of South America and was generally considered the only spiny pocket mouse present in Venezuela until H. australis was reported recently from the Cordillera de Mérida. Here, I revise the spiny pocket mice of western Venezuela and compare specimens from the semi-insular Península de Paraguaná with samples from throughout the distributional area of H. anomalus. Morphological comparisons with all other species of the genus suggest that the Heteromys from Paraguaná are closely related to H. anomalus, but univariate and multivariate analyses show that they are much smaller than samples of H. anomalus. In addition, adults from Paraguaná display differences in cranial shape when compared with adults of H. anomalus. Hence, specimens from Paraguaná are here described as a new species, Heteromys oasicus, and taxonomic treatments of H. anomalus and H. australis in western Venezuela are also provided. Although the original geographic context of this case of dwarfism in body size is unknown, H. oasicus currently appears to be isolated in mesic vegetation on the low Cerro Santa Ana and Fila de Monte Cano, which lie in a matrix of tropical thorn forest. The new species represents one of the few vertebrates considered endemic to Paraguaná, but basic inventories and taxonomic studies are not yet complete in the region.en_US
dc.format.extent1633823 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2246/2822
dc.languageengen_US
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherNew York, NY : American Museum of Natural Historyen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesAmerican Museum novitates ; no. 3396en_US
dc.subject.lccQL1 .A436 no.3396 2003en_US
dc.subject.lcshForest spiny pocket mice -- Venezuela.en_US
dc.subject.lcshTrinidad spiny pocket mouse.en_US
dc.subject.lcshForest spiny pocket mice -- Venezuela -- Paraguaná Peninsulaen_US
dc.subject.lcshHeteromyidae -- Venezuela.en_US
dc.subject.lcshHeteromyidae -- Venezuela -- Paraguaná Peninsulaen_US
dc.subject.lcshRodents -- Venezuela.en_US
dc.subject.lcshRodents -- Venezuela -- Paraguaná Peninsulaen_US
dc.subject.lcshMammals -- Venezuela.en_US
dc.subject.lcshMammals -- Venezuela -- Paraguaná Peninsulaen_US
dc.titleTaxonomy, distribution, and natural history of the genus Heteromys (Rodentia, Heteromyidae) in western Venezuela : with the description of a dwarf species from the Península de Paraguaná. American Museum novitates ; no. 3396en_US
dc.title.alternativeHeteromys in western Venezuelaen_US
dc.typetexten_US

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