Heteromys Explained

Heteromys is a genus of rodents in the family Heteromyidae, commonly known as spiny pocket mice. It is the only extant genus in the subfamily Heteromyinae which also includes the extinct genera Diprionomys and Metaliomys.^[1] Heteromys was recently enlarged by inclusion of the members of formerly recognized heteromyine genus Liomys, which was found to be paraphyletic.^[2]

Distribution

Heteromyines are distributed from southern Texas to Ecuador and Venezuela, and include all but one of the castorimorph species of South America. Like all of South America's other non-caviomorph rodents, they arrived in the continent relatively recently as part of the Great American Interchange. They inhabit mainly forests; some are also found in scrubland.

Taxonomy

The genus Heteromys comprises the following species of spiny pocket mice:

• Panamanian spiny pocket mouse (H. adspersus)
• Trinidad spiny pocket mouse (H. anomalus)
• Southern spiny pocket mouse (H. australis)
• Overlook spiny pocket mouse (H. catopterius)^[3]
• Desmarest's spiny pocket mouse (H. desmarestianus)
• Gaumer's spiny pocket mouse (H. gaumeri)
• Goldman's spiny pocket mouse (H. goldmani)
• Mexican spiny pocket mouse (H. irroratus)
• Nelson's spiny pocket mouse (H. nelsoni)
• Cloud-dwelling spiny pocket mouse (H. nubicolens)^[4]
• Paraguaná spiny pocket mouse (H. oasicus)
• Mountain spiny pocket mouse (H. oresterus)
• Painted spiny pocket mouse (H. pictus)
• Salvin's spiny pocket mouse (H. salvini)
• Jaliscan spiny pocket mouse (H. spectabilis)
• Ecuadoran spiny pocket mouse (H. teleus)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Heteromyinae in the Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. 17 December 2021.
2. Hafner. J. C.. Light. J. E.. Hafner. D. J.. Hafner. M. S.. Reddington. E.. Rogers. D. S.. Riddle. B. R.. Basal Clades and Molecular Systematics of Heteromyid Rodents. Journal of Mammalogy. 88. 5. 2007-10-18. 1129–1145. 10.1644/06-MAMM-A-413R1.1. free.
3. Anderson. R. P.. Gutiérrez. E. E. Taxonomy, Distribution, and Natural History of the Genus Heteromys (Rodentia: Heteromyidae) in Central and Eastern Venezuela, with the Description of a New Species from the Cordillera de la Costa. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 331. December 2009. 33–93. 10.1206/582-2.1. 41011596.
4. Anderson. R. P.. Timm. R. N.. A new montane species of spiny pocket mouse (Rodentia, Heteromyidae, Heteromys) from northwestern Costa Rica. American Museum Novitates. 3509. 2006. 1–38. 10.1206/0003-0082(2006)3509[1:ANMSOS]2.0.CO;2. 1353074 .