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Zapus hudsonius in southern Colorado PDF

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Occasional Papers Museum of Texas Tech University NUMBER 191 16 June 1999 ZAPUS HUDSONIUS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO CheriA. Jones Two species of jumping mouse (Zapodidae: luteus as endangered in 1983 and preblei was listed as Zapus) are biown from Wyoming, Colorado, and New federally threatened on 12 May 1998. The report by Mexico. The western jumping mouse (Z. princeps Clarion Associates (1998) includes a bibliography com¬ princeps) is the more common and widely distributed piled by Chris Pague ([email protected]), which lists species in the region. It occurs throughout the west¬ numerous surveys and status reports regarding Z. h. ern two-thirds of Colorado, mainly in riparian vegeta¬ preblei in Colorado. tion and mesic meadows from 1830 to 3500 m (Armstrong, 1972; Fitzgerald et al., 1994). Fitzgerald In 1996,1 caught 14 jumping mice during a et al. (1994) suggested the possible occurrence of Z. survey of mammals on the Lake Dorothey State Wild¬ p. utahensis in northwestern Colorado. The meadow life Area, southeast of Trinidad in Las Animas County, jumping mouse (Z. hudsonius) is represented by three Colorado. The wildlife area is located in Sugarite Can¬ taxa, all with restricted distributions, in Wyoming, yon, between Barela Mesa and Fishers Peak Mesa. Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. The range of Z. Sugarite Canyon opens southwards, approximately 16 hudsonius campestris includes the Black Hills of north¬ km NE of the city of Raton, New Mexico. Two creeks eastern Wyoming (Clark and Stromberg, 1987). (Chicorica and Schwacheim) and two lakes (Dorothey Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, Z. h. preblei, is and Maloya) occupy the canyon north of the Colorado known only from Colorado’s Front Range and from border. Vegetation on the floor of the canyon includes southeastern Wyoming (Clark and Stromberg, 1987; meadows of grasses and forbs, in which meadow voles Fitzgerald et al., 1994). A third subspecies, Z. h. luteus, (Microtus pennsylvanicus) were the most frequently- occupies isolated patches in New Mexico and in south¬ captured rodent. Ruderal vegetation lines roads and eastern Arizona (Hafner et al., 1981). Local distribu¬ parking areas; scrub oak (Quercus gambelii), ponde- tions of the taxa luteus and preblei are of special inter¬ rosa pines (Pinus ponderosa), and other conifers oc¬ est (e.g., Morrison, 1990, 1992; Meaney et al., 1996, cupy the walls of the canyon. Jones (1996; in press) 1997; Ryon,1996; Hafner, 1997); New Mexico listed provided more detailed descriptions of the vicinity. 2 OCCASIONAL PAPERS, MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY MATERIALS AND METHODS In June and July 1996,1 captured three jump¬ breadth of incisive foramina, interbullar width (at ba- ing mice in Shemian live traps as part of a general sioccipital-basisphenoid suture), and greatest mastoi¬ survey of mammals (Jones, 1996). Consequently, in dal breadth. Specimens were classified as adult or August 1996, C. Jones, D. Meshko, and I set snap subadult based on presence or absence of wear on M3 traps to sample small mammals along Chiconca and (Krutzsch, 1954; Hafner et al., 1981). Sexes were Schwacheim creeks. 1 determined localities using the combined, because neither Krutzsch (1954) nor Hafner Global Positioning System and the U.S.G.S. Barela et al. (1981) found evidence of sexual dimorphism. Quad topographic map. Skins and skulls were depos¬ Measurements of the Lake Dorothey specimens were ited in the Denver Museum of Natural History and fro¬ compared with those of samples of Z. h. preblei from zen tissues were deposited at Texas Tech University. Colorado, Z. h. luteus from New Mexico, and Z. p. I also collected hair and ear-punch samples for use by princeps from both Colorado and New Mexico. Spe¬ the Colorado Division of Wildlife. cific localities and catalogue numbers of material from the Denver Museum of Natural History (DMNH), the I recorded external measurements from skin Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB), the Univer¬ tags and measured ten cranial characteristics, follow¬ sity of Colorado Museum (UCM), and of tissues from ing Krutzsch (1954) and Hafner et al. (1981): greatest Lake Dorothey specimens deposited in the frozen tis¬ condylobasal length, greatest zygomatic breadth, least sue collection of Texas Tech University (TK), are listed interorbital breadth, length of maxillary toothrow, palatal under Specimens Examined. Nomenclature follows length, palatal breadth at P4, length of incisive foramina. that of Saldana-DeLeon and Jones (1998). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The first jumping mice caught near Lake trapline as .S', monticolus, S. palustris, M. longicaudus, Dorothey were two nonscrotal males captured 11 June and Peromyscus maniculatus. Thus, jumping mice were 1996 in Sherman live traps along the south bank of known from four different localities (all below an el¬ Schwacheim Creek, one on either side of the foot¬ evation of 7800’) on the Lake Dorothey State Wildlife bridge between lakes Dorothey and Maloya. Both mice Area in 1996. An additional male (DMNH 9065) was were captured in riparian vegetation consisting of captured near Chicorica Creek 24 August 1997 on the grasses, forbs, and coyote willow (Salix exigua); one Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area by staff of the Colo¬ was prepared as a voucher (DMNH 8630). On 16 rado Natural Heritage Program; this animal was col¬ July a gravid female (DMNH 8631) carrying six em¬ lected 2-3 m from the water’s edge underneath wil¬ bryos (measuring 6x4 mm) was captured in ruderal low (M. B. Wunder, pers. comm., 1998). Except for vegetation, including wild rose (Rosa sp.), legumes, this male and the female (DMNH 8631) collected on and grasses, along the road through Sugarite Canyon. the roadside, all specimens from Lake Dorothey were Microtus pennyslvanicus, Reithrodontomys megalotis, captured no more than 1 m from the water, although and Thomomys talpoides also were captured in this others (Whitaker, 1972; Choate et al., 1991; Tester et trapline. Eleven additional individuals (DMNH 8632- al., 1993; Zwank et al. 1997; also see discussion by 8642), including two lactating females, were caught Morrison 1990:141) have reported captures of Z. in August 1996 in snap traps deployed at water’s edge hudsonius at more variable distances from water. Cap¬ along Chiconca Creek and along the West Fork of tures at greater distances from water might represent Schwacheim Creek above Lake Dorothey. Vegetation dispersal and/or movement to nests and hibemacula at Chicorica Creek consisted primarily of willow; other (e.g., Zwank et al., 1997). species of mammals caught there were Sorex palustris and M. pennsylvanicus. Along the West Fork of Only measurements of adults were used in Schwacheim Creek, willows were less abundant and analyses. Average (and extreme) measurements of the the heavy groundcover consisted primarily of grasses nine adults from Lake Dorothey and of comparative and forbs; jumping mice were captured in the same material are shown on Tables 1 and 2. I did not in- Jones.—Z^Pt/S HUDSONIUSIN SOUTHERN COLORADO 3 elude length of ear, which was not recorded by most Ear and hair samples from 10 Lake Dorothey early collectors of Zapus. Initial assignment of the Lake specimens (DMNH 8632-8637, 8639-8642) were in¬ Dorothey material to the species Z. hudsonius was in¬ cluded in mitochondrial-DNA analyses conducted by dicated by the presence of the anteromedian fold on Biosphere Genetics Inc; non-coding region sequence the anterior edge of the ml (Klingener, 1963; Hafner, data also suggested that jumping mice from Lake 1993) and by characters in the key developed by Dorothey belong to the subspecies Z. h. luteus (Riggs Armstrong (1972:248) to separate Colorado Zapus; i.e., et al., 1997; pers. comm., 1998). Z. h. preblei is distinguished from Z. p. princeps by a zygomatic breadth usually less than 11.5 mm and inci¬ The population of Zapus on the Lake Dorothey sive foramina usually 4.5 or shorter. The Lake Dorothey State Wildlife Area represents the first reported in ex¬ specimens also lack the whitish ear fringe of the Z. treme southern Colorado. Neither species of Zapus princeps to which they were compared. w'as previously known near Sugarite Canyon (Armstrong, 1972). Six specimens collected by C. A. Hafner et al. (1981:509) described Z. h. luteus Meaney in San Isabel National Forest (in July 1991) as “ochraceous-buff in color, with a but weakly de¬ extended the known range of Z. princeps into Las fined middorsal band; ear either lacking pale fringe or Animas County, approximately 64 km (40 air miles) possessing narrow ocherous fringe; never with a white northwest of Lake Dorothey. The southernmost record ear fringe.” Only one specimen from Lake Dorothey of Z. h. preblei is in El Paso County, approximately (DMNH 8631) has a dark, well-defined dorsal stripe 224 km (140 miles) north of Las Animas County (C. and all have an ochraceous-buff color similar to the A. Meaney and C. Pague, in litt, 1999). The closest New Mexican specimens examined. This ochre is historic record of Z. h. luteus in northern New Mexico brighter than the coloration of the 13 skins of Z. h. is North Williams Lake in the Sangre de Cristo Moun¬ preblei to which they were compared, resembling the tains (Morrison, 1992), about 144 km (90 air miles) color of the few skins of Z. h, americanus and Z. h, southwest of Lake Dorothey. The possible occurrence iniermedius housed in the DMNH collection. Gener¬ of isolated populations of Zapus along the Colorado- ally, skulls of Z. h. luteus from New Mexico and from New Mexico border needs to be investigated further Lake Dorothey are broader and longer than those of Z. to elucidate the historical biogeography and present h. preblei (Table 2). Zygomatic breadth was greater in ecological requirements of members of this genus. the specimens of Z. h, luteus from New Mexico than those from Colorado. Table 1. Selected external measurements (means and extremes) of four samples of Zapus. Sample sizes wereN=9 (Z. h luteus from New Mexico), N=9 (Zapus from Lake Dorothey), N=12 (Z h, preblei), and N-30 (Z, p, princeps). Total length Length of Tail Hindfoot Z. h. luteus 213.4(205-221) 126.2(118-130) 29.6(28-31) Lake Dorothey 211.8(204-216) 123.6(119-131) 29.4(29-31) Z. h. preblei 208.5(195-231) 124.6(116-137) 29.7(27-32) Z. p. princeps 231.0(200-247) 139.0(125-156) 31.6(29.5-34) 4 OCCASIONAL PAPERS, MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY ACKNOWLEDGMENTS e I am grateful to W. L. Gannon and T. R. Yates of v cisi ed- the Museum of Southwestern Biology and to R. in m cat Humphrey of the University of Colorado Museum for ength, palatal breadth, N=10 (Z. h. luteus fro measurements are indi ratwahielnuoilvdtodnhi wsse T.omw in.n seIig R uiot nsh.fm ;a p tRChneue ky.r t s oJmoDuon ian. et n fexoMousafr s.m as cmnuAridsniarpe emlDftl ;u m.ssC ltp Mra.edo mAceinsism.gmch M uakaeslonness d;saif o noaiDnnern syd.w , tJr ahC.Le do.g.H isNaAnearg. .fd cnRRcioenrailreggml ee gfckoZos¬ssr., al l ere ng for preparation of many of the specimens deposited in at w si the collection of the Denver Museum of Natural His¬ pal es mis tory. Research at Lake Dorothey was funded by the othrow length, us. Sample siz amples due to CAHoirseltoaosrra yPd. oro Dgriavmis,i oann do ft hWe iDldelinfve,e rt hMe uCsoeluomra doof NNaattuurraall ary to of Zap aller s SPECIMENS EXAMINED; xill es sm dth, ma r sampl nceps)\ OtsegZo aCpou:s C hhuedrrsyo nViualsl eaym, 1e r(iDcManNusH (714):7 6N).e w York: for condylobasal length, zygomatic breadth, interorbital brea mina breadth, infraorbital width, and mastoidal breadth of fou m Lake Dorothey), N=13 (Z. ft, preblei), and N=30 (Z. p. pri TCL(44((5S15133D003111a0co67 99kh433:4M0 °°5ew4550°5503 124N25NDaZ Z590215--ck,5’aHo’a555 ’Ih40mp5prR31N1Ne o82u5u303i 8t))""s6ms5Nh"08,7,N N E W6ehh8S 616 Cy .,).,,) ,H 3 ( ;; (;r4il DS 1DSnue11a0LNtUe/ttMe00zaM9eeTakce4tW4Tur5ek NKn°mN(°sM 81e3W2,2 H3 2 He(72oU ,D335d i° , fl58 110Ni0831do u6( 3)10L639lrD:)s (3i 2’o"3,"aDf C 020(MeWtW62k54hf55M o -e3AT)e"N(58l;; :)DNoKyN r 67D;HNer UU 3 ,0MHaa5 So o791d:TT1C rt 7Nr/0o3Sa7o2MMtT74hht:E7cHt5e 6K°h hi6 L 3, D2 1ce w3 )81W1a2o,5y4a;)337s6*a 1k.,r03 i3 7c3 Ai2ol7900h2c68Wd9t°n555"eaa-l240 iii81W55:e ,fmm, 0 6e8s6 6M’57;tC 4 a8480 C 1A7Us2eN07F4r2 r6/rerT41C,eoT9,c,4eeN eEEMroe5)aKkkk1;:r,,,,, remes e fora pus fro Ccohnifcloureincac eC wreietkh aLbaokuet 0M.2a lmoiy a(0 .(3U kTmM) u1p3s t0r5ea5m64 f8r0oEm, ext siv Za 4094600 N), 1 (DMNH 9065). New Mexico: Bernalillo nd nci 9 ( Co: Isleta, T8N, R2E, Sec 12, 1 (MSB 58368); Otero eans a ngth, i o), N= Crooa:d 8) Cmlio Eud Ccrloofutd, c3r o(Mft,S 1B ( M41S0B60 3, 74115056)2, , 34.21 0m6i4 )E, S(bily¬ M e c 2. na l Mexi ver Springs Canyon, T15S, ROE, Sec 29, 1 (MSB e mi 61701); Sandoval Co: TON, R2E, SW Sec 10, Fenton bl a w Ta for Ne Lake, marsh E of lake, E of Rte 126, 1 (MSB 56982); Jones,— ZAPUS HUDSONIUS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO 5 Rio Cebolla, T19N, R1E, no section, 1 mi upstream Monument, Dirty Woman Creek, T11S R67W NE 14 from intersection with Rio Las Vacas, 1 (MSB 62097); SW 14 Sec 14, UTM 13 0512100E, 4326700N, 1 T19N, R2E, NE Sec 30, Rio Cebolla at intersect, of (DMNH 9206), near Monument on Dirty Woman Rte 376 & Lake Fork Creek, 1 (MSB 56985); Socorro Creek, T11S R67W, NE 14 SW 14 Sec 14, UTM 13 Co: 8 mi S San Antonio, Bosque del Apache National 0512100E, 4326700N, 1 (DMNH 9313); Gilpin Co: Wildife Refuge, 6 (MSB 41223,41225,41226,41228, along Ralston Creek, T2S R70W NE 14 SW % Sec 31, 41229, 41234), 11 mi S San Antonio, Bosque del 6400’, 1 (DMNH 9312); Jefferson Co: VA mi W Sem¬ Apache Game Refuge, 2 (MSB 36119, 36143). per, 2 (DMNH 6633,6634), Rocky Flats, WalnutCreek Drainage, 5809’, 1 (DMNH 9203). Zapus h. preblei (21): Colorado: Adams Co: Croak’s Lake, 1 (DMNH 2822); Boulder Co: South Zapus princeps princeps (38): Colorado: Archuleta Boulder Creek, irrigation ditch, 1 (DMNH 9314), 'Ami Co: Devil’s Creek, near Dyke, 2 (DMNH 5575, 5576); S St. Vram Road on U.S. hwy 36 on unnamed drain¬ Upper Navajo River, 5 (DMNH 1227, 1229-1231, age, UTM 13 0477420E, 4446330N, elevationl689 m, 1233); headwaters of Navajo River, 9 (DMNH 1483- 2 (DMNH 9204, 9205), south of Boulder,! (UCM 1489, 1498, 1499); Boulder Co: 7,000 ft, 2 (DMNH 1225), 3 mi E Boulder, 1 (UCM 551), 5 mi E Boulder, 3258,3354); 3 mi E Pine Cliff, 3 (DMNH 3378-3380); 1 (UCM 503), 8.5 mi N, 3 A mi E Boulder, 1 (UCM Clear Creek Co: Camp Lemon, 2 (DMNH 4395,4396); 5210), 0.5 mi SSE Eldorado Springs, T1S R70W NE Gunnison Co: Taylor Park, 1 (DMNH 3903); Jackson % NW 14 Sec 31, 6000’, 1 (UCM 17001), Niwot, 1 Co: 4 mi NW Northgate, 2 (DMNH 1052,1053); Las (DMNH 2394); 3 mi NW Niwot, 1 (DMNH 2971); Animas Co: San Isabel National Forest, Purgatoire Douglas Co: West Plum Creek, 8 mi N county line, Campground, 2625 m, 6 (DMNH 7914-7919); Routt T9S R68W, SW y* SW l/4 Sec 24, 2 (UCM 17003, Co: Dome Peak, Middle Stillwater Creek, 1 (DMNH 17004); El Paso Co: U.S. Air Force Academy, 1 4938); Stillwater Reservoir, 10,300 ft, 3 (DMNH 4970- (DMNH 9315), U.S. Air Force Academy, Monument 4972). New Mexico: Taos Co: 4 mi N, 11 mi E Arroyo Creek, 0.25 mi S Sewage Treatment Plant, T12S R67W Hondo, 2(MSB 41346,41347). SW 14 NW 14 NW % Sec 30, 6440’, 1 (UCM 17002), LITERATURE CITED Armstrong, D. M. 1972. Distribution of mammals in Colorado. _. 1997. Evaluation of the taxonomic, genetic, and conser¬ Monograph of the Museum of Natural History, The vation status of Preble’s jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius University of Kansas, No. 3, x + 415 pp. preblei, and associated subspecies. Final report, submit¬ ted to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, 8 pp. Choate, J. R., D. W. Moore, and L K. Frey. 1991. Dispersal of the meadow jumping mouse in northern Kansas. Prairie Hafner, D. J., K. E. Petersen, and T. L. Yates. 1981. Evolution¬ Naturalist, 23:127-130. ary relationships of jumping mice (genus Zapus) of the southwestern United States. Journal of Mammalogy, Clarion Associates, LLC. 1998. Preble’s meadow jumping mouse 62:501-512. collaborative planning process. Preliminary progress re¬ port prepared for the Colorado Department of Natural Jones, C. A. 1996. Mammals of the James John and Lake Resources. Dorothey state wildlife areas. Final report, submitted to the Colorado Division of Wildlife and to the Colorado Clark, T. W. and M. R. Stromberg. 1987. Mammals in Wyo¬ Natural Areas Program, 27 pp. ming. Publication Education Series, University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, 10;xii 1-314. __. In press. An annotated list of mammals of the James M. John State Wildlife Area. Proceedings of the Colorado Fitzgerald, J. P., C. A. Meaney, and D. M. Armstrong. 1994 Natural Areas Symposium. [1995]. Mammals of Colorado. Denver Museum of Natu¬ ral History and the University Press of Colorado, Niwot, Klingener, D, 1963. Dental evolution of Zapus. Journal of Mam¬ 467 pp. malogy, 44:248-260. Hafner, D. J. 1993. Reinterpretation of the Wisconsinan mam¬ Krutzsch, P. H. 1954. North American jumping mice (genus malian fauna and paleoenvironment of the Edwards Pla¬ Zapus). University of Kansas Publications, Museum of teau, Texas. Journal of M ammalogy, 74:162-167. Natural History, 7.349-472. 6 OCCASIONAL PAPERS, MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY Meaney, C. A., N. W. Clippinger, A. Deans, and M. O’Shea- Riggs, L. A., J. M. Dempcy, and C. Orrego. 1997. Evaluating Stone. 1996. Second year survey for Preble’s meadow distinctness and evolutionary significance of Preble’s jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) in Colorado. meadow jumping mouse: phylogeography of mitochon¬ Final report, submitted to the Colorado Division of Wild¬ drial DNA non-coding region variation. Final report, sub¬ life, 47 pp. mitted to the Colorado Division of Wildlife, 13 pp. Meaney, C. A., A. Deans, N. W. Clippinger, M. Rider, N. Daly, Ryon, T. R. 1996. Evaluations of the historical capture sites of and M. O’Shea-Stone. 1997. Third year survey for Preble’s the Preble’s meadowjumping mouse in Colorado. MSES meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) in Project Report, University of Colorado-Denver. Colorado. Final report, submitted to the Colorado Divi¬ Saldaria-DeLeon, J. L., and C. A. Jones. 1998. Annotated check¬ sion of Wildlife, 56 pp. list of the recent mammals of Colorado. Occas. Papers, Morrison, J. L. 1990. The meadow jumping mouse in New Mus., Texas Tech Univ., 179:1-14. Mexico: habitat preferences and management recommen¬ Tester, J. R., S. Malchow, C. McLain, and J. B. Lchrer. 1993. dations. Pp. 136-143, in Proceedings of the symposium Movements and habitat use by meadow jumping mice in on managing wildlife in the Southwest (P. R. Krausman northwestern Minnesota. Prairie Naturalist, 25:33-37. and N. S. Smith, eds.). Arizona Chapter, The Wildlife Society, Phoenix, Whitaker, J. O. 1972. Zapus hudsonius. Mammalian Species 11:1-7. _, 1992. Persistence of the meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius luteus, in New Mexico. Southwestern Natu¬ Zwank, P. J., S. R. Najera, and M. Cardenas. 1997. Life history ralist, 37:308-311. and habitat affinities of meadow jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius) in the middle Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist, 42:318-322. Jones.— ZAPUS HUDSONIUS IN SOUTHERN COLORADO 7 A uthor ’s address: CHERI A. JONES Denver Museum of Natural History 2001 Colorado Blvd. Denver CO 80205-5798 email: [email protected] PUBLICATIONS OF THE MUSEUM OF TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY It was through the efforts of Horn Professor J Knox Jones, as director of Academic Publications, that Texas Tech University initiated several publications series including the Occasional Papers of the Museum. This and future editions in the series are a memorial to his dedication to excellence in academic publications. Profes¬ sor Jones enjoyed editing scientific publications and served the scientific community as an editor for the Journal of Mammalogy, Evolution, The Texas Journal of Science, Occasional Papers of the Museum, and Special Publications of the Museum. It is with special fondness that we remember Dr. J Knox Jones. Institutional subscriptions are available through the Museum of Texas Tech University, attn: NSRL Publica¬ tions Secretary, Box 43191, Lubbock, TX 79409-3191. Individuals may also purchase separate numbers of the Occasional Papers directly from the Museum of Texas Tech University. ISSN 0149-175X Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409-3191

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