SALT MARSH HARVEST MOUSE 



Reithrodontomys raviventris Dixon 



KINGDOM Animalia 



CLASS Mammalia 



ORDER Rodentia 



FAMILY Cricetidae 



OTHER COMMON 



NAMES Red-bellied harvest mouse, 



Petaluma marsh harvest mouse 



DATE 



Entered into SWIS To be determined. 



LEGAL STATUS 



Federal Endangered (35 FR 16047, 13 Oct 

 1970). 



States Endangered: California 



REASONS FOR CURRENT STATUS 



Distribution of the salt-marsh harvest mouse 

 is Hmited to native salt marsh habitat bordering 

 bays, estuaries, and rivers of the San Francisco 

 Bay region. Destruction of salt marsh habitat by 

 land filling and diking has greatly reduced and 

 fragmented the habitat of this species (Leach 

 1976,Shellhammer 1977). 



PRIORITY INDEX 



Not assigned. 



DESCRIPTION 



This species is distinguished from the western 

 harvest mouse {Reithrodontomys megaiotis) by 

 darker coloration on the back (especially in the 

 southern subspecies), many hairs being tipped 

 with black, especially mid-dorsally. Underparts 

 are white to fulvous; hairs at the anterior base of 



