Maya mouse

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Wikipedia

Maya Mouse
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Neotominae
Genus: Peromyscus
Species:
P. mayensis
Binomial name
Peromyscus mayensis
Carleton & Huckaby, 1975

The Maya mouse (Peromyscus mayensis) or Maya deer mouse is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is a species of the genus Peromyscus, a closely related group of New World mice often called deermice. It is endemic to the department of Huehuetenango, Guatemala with a very limited known range.

Range Distribution

The Maya mouse lives in mature oak forests on the Cerro Wowi, a peak in the depoartment of Huehuetenango, Guatemala about 7 km northwest of the town of Santa Eulalia. [2][3][4] This mouse has only been found in a small area around the location where it was first described to Science in 1975.

This mouse is endemic to elevations between 2,900 to 3,000 m and is not found at adjacent lower elevation forests. According to the IUCN redlist, the total known extent of occurrence of this species is less than 89 square kilometers.[4]

Habitat & Ecology

This mouse has been found in mature, montane pine-oak cloud forest. The primarily oak forest habitat is abundant in epiphytes, fallen trees, and a deep layer of leaf litter.[5] This species particularly inhabits areas with heavy layers of leaves and moss.[4]

Its biology is poorly known. It is terrestrial, and burrows through the leaf litter under and along decaying logs and tree roots. It relies on this layer of detritus for tunneling and foraging, this habitat is characteristic in elevations above 2,900m where colder temperatures slow decomposition and aid in accumulating deep leaf litter.[5] Without this thick blanket of leaves, the mouse would likely be more vulnerable to predation and have less area to forage.

Diet

The Maya deer mouse feeds on fleshy fruit and other plants, as well as on insects.[3][5][6] One study of six individuals observed during the dry season revealed a herbivorous diet.

Reproduction

The Maya mouse appears to reproduce more frequently during the warmer months (April-June) than during the colder season of December. During one field study, pregnant female deer mice were found in May and average around 2 pinkies per brood of offspring.[6] During another research expedition in December, all individuals studied were non-reproductive.[5]

Conservation

This species is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN redlist.[4] This is due to the fact that its range is so limited. Additionally, the forests where this species inhabits are under severe impact of subsistance firewood harvesting and logging for oak and other hardwoods. Most reforestation efforts have historically planted only pines to mitigate deforestation, which over time has led to a change in the forest composition and the makeup of the leaf-litter that is the necessary habitat of the Maya mouse.

References

  1. ↑ Pérez, S.; Matson, J. (2019). "Peromyscus mayensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T16673A22363138. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T16673A22363138.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Musser, G.G.; Carleton, M.D. (2005). "Superfamily Muroidea". D.E. Wilson and D.A. Reeder (eds), Mammal Species of the World: a geographic and taxonomic reference. Baltimore, USA: The Johns Hopkins University Press: 894–1531.
  3. 1 2 Matson, J.O.; Ordoñez-Garza, N., N.; Bulmer, W; Eckerlin, R.P. (2012). "Small Mammal Communities in the Sierra de Los Cuchumatanes, Huehuetenango, Guatemala". Mastozoologia Neotropical. 19 (1): 71–84.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pérez, S.; Matson, J. (2019). "Peromyscus mayensis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Reid, F. (2009). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and Southeast Mexico. New York, USA.: Oxford University Press.
  6. 1 2 Carleton, M. D.; Huckaby, D. G. (1975). "A new species of Peromyscus from Guatemala". Journal of Mammalogy. 56: 444–451.