WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE 



a more rufescent general effect than in the winter pelage." 

 Total length, 7.6 inches; tail vertebras, 4.5 inches; hind 

 foot, .8 inch. Found in "Extreme southwestern Califor- 

 nia, west of the mountains from the vicinity of Los Angeles 

 south to northwestern Lower California. " (Osgood) 

 Anthony Desert Mouse; Apache Desert Mouse. — Peromyscus 

 eremicus anthonyi (Merriam). 

 Intermediate in color between typical eremicus and frater- 

 culus; ears smaller; pectoral spot generally present. Upper- 

 parts rich ochraceous buff with heavy sprinkling of black, 

 uniformly distributed, "head grayish drab, suffused with 

 buff, particularly on cheeks; underparts creamy white, 

 except a prominent ochraceous buff pectoral spot, extending 

 from breast between forelegs almost to middle of belly; tail 

 blackish above and paler below, but not sharply bicolor; 

 feet creamy white, "ankles" dusky." Total length, 7.5-8.1 

 inches; tail vertebrae, 4.1-4.5 inches; hind foot, .84-88 inch. 

 Found in "Extreme southeastern Arizona and southwestern 

 New Mexico in the vicinity of the Mexican boundary line 

 and south. ..." (Osgood) 



******* 



White-footed Mice share with Meadow Mice the distinction 

 of being the commonest and most widely distributed of the 

 North American small rodents. No matter where one goes, 

 from the Arctic Circle southward, one or more of the various 

 forms of this genus will be found if there is any food supply for 

 rodents to be had. This group is easily modified by evolu- 

 tionary factors, and we find that there are a great many differ- 

 ent species and subspecies of White-footed Mice. These 

 many forms are classified in a few large groups, some of which 

 are elevated to the rank of subgenera, and as a rule specimens 

 may be referred to one of these groups without much difficulty. 

 The final sifting down to an exact identification is quite 

 another proposition and, as has been stated before, can best 

 be accomplished on the basis of the geographical ranges given. 



Many of the species of White-footed Mice delight in the 

 cover of fallen logs, piles of rock, and other shelter such as is 

 common in forests and brush land. The open country species 

 live in burrows in the earth or sand and make their presence 

 manifest by the tracks and trails they create in their nightly 

 wanderings. Other species build nests in low brushes, or in 

 many cases, use old nests made by birds. All of the different 

 forms are terrestrial, none known to be arboreal, all are strictly 

 nocturnal, and all are active throughout the year. 



There is little about the White-footed Mouse suggestive of 



371 



