31 July 2019

US Mammal List Taxonomy Questions

Does anyone know the latest thinking on the status of these (possible) species for inclusion on the USA mammal list…. I don’t have them on my list. Should I?

 

Blarina peninsulae,

Sorex gaspensis,

Sorex navigator,

Martes caurina,

Oryzomys texensis,

Peromyscus laceianus,

Geomys juggosicularis, lutescens & streckeri

 

Thanks

 

Jon

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4 Comments

  • 1 August 2019
    Vladimir Dinets

    I don’t remember the sources, but B. peninsulae is no longer thought valid (unlike B. sherman). S. gaspensis has been shown to be a subspecies of S. dispar a while ago. S. navigator is part of well-substantiated three-way split of S. palustris (the third part is S. albibarbis), but S. alaskanus is still a mystery. The evidence for M. caurina is growing, but it isn’t universally recognized yet (personally, I am still undecided). O. texensis, P. laceianus, and all three Geomys are apparently valid (and not particularly difficult to see).

  • 1 August 2019
    Larry Master

    Sorex navigator, Martes caurina, and the three Geomys species are all recognized by the American Society of Mammalogists’ regularly updated Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) – see https://www.mammalogy.org/committees/biodiversity and https://mammaldiversity.org/. These species are also recognized by NatureServe and it network of natural heritage programs and conservation data centers in every state and Canadian province. See NatureServe Explorer for discussion and citations for these changes. Peromyscus laceinaus and Oryzomys texensis are recognized by the MDD but not yet by NSE, likely because of a delay in updating NSE from their databases – the NSE web site is being revamped. (I am checking with them about these two species.)
    Blarina peninsulae and Sorex gaspensis are not recognized by the MDD and the former is not recognized by NSE. (I am checking with them about the latter.)

  • 1 August 2019
    Larry Master

    As I suspected, NSE will be brought up to date to match the MDD for the three species in question in my previous comment sometime in the next few months.

  • 5 August 2019
    Jon Hall

    Thanks Larry and Vladimir. This is very helpful. Thank you also to David Huckaby (who is involved in the American Society of Mammalogists ) who wrote me offline confirming your comments with a bit more information which I share below. In short I will add all but the Blarina and Sorex gaaspensis to my list. How far east does Martes caurina get?

    ——–

    Some recent compendia have considered Blarina peninsulae a species separate from B. carolinensis, but others did not.

    Most recent compendia have considered gaspensis as a subspecies of Sorex dispar. One or more did consider it a species.

    Sorex navigator was recently split from S. palustris along with S. albibarbis. A map of their distributions is in the insectivore volume of the Handbook of the Mammals of the World.

    Martes caurina was recently split from M. americana. This occurred after the publication of the carnivore volume of the handbook.

    Oryzomys texensis was recently split from O. palustris. Their ranges are shown in the second rodent volume of the handbook.

    Peromyscus laceianus was recently split from P. pectoralis. Their ranges are shown in the second rodent volume of the handbook.

    All three of those species of Geomys are shown as such in the second rodent volume of the handbook, along with range maps.

    I think all of these species should be recognized, except for the Sorex and maybe the Blarina.

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