Georgia Mammals 127 



Peromyscus maniculatus nubiterrae Rhoads, Deer Mouse. This 

 very common species reaches the southern limit of its range in Georgia, 

 where it is found in the Blue Ridge Province and extreme northeastern 

 Piedmont, south into Lumpkin, White, and Hall counties. It occurs at 

 higher elevations, generally over 850 m (2800 ft) in mesic hardwood 

 forest. 



Peromyscus polionotus (Wagner), Oldfield Mouse. A very common 

 mammal of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Taxonomic distinctions of 

 the three recognized subspecies that occur in Georgia (Hall 1981) are 

 poorly defined, but they include: Peromyscus polionotus polionotus 

 (Wagner), south of the Fall Line; P. p. colemani Schwartz, north of the 

 Fall Line; and P. p. subgriseus (Chapman), in the extreme southwestern 

 and south central counties. 



Peromyscus leucopus leucopus (Rafinesque), White-footed Mouse. 

 Very common in a variety of woodland habitats north of the Fall Line. 



Peromyscus gossypinus (LeConte), Cotton Mouse. This mouse, the 

 largest Peromyscus in Georgia, is common in a variety of habitats below 

 the Fall Line. There are also isolated records from the extreme eastern 

 Piedmont counties, and the Appalachian Valley. Three subspecies are 

 recognized in Georgia (Hall 1981): Peromyscus gossypinus gossypinus 

 (LeConte) inhabits mainland Georgia southeast of a line between 

 Columbus and the extreme northeastern part of the state; P. g. anastasae 

 Bangs is known only from Cumberland and Little Cumberland islands 

 (Neuhauser 1978), but the subspecific affinities of the coastal island 

 populations are suspect and currently under review by Laerm; and P. g. 

 megacephalus (Rhoads) inhabits mainland Georgia northwest of a line 

 between Columbus and the extreme northeastern part of the state. 



Ochrotomys nuttalli (Harlan), Golden Mouse. This statewide spe- 

 cies is generally restricted to woodland habitats, where it is common. 

 Two subspecies are recognized in Georgia (Hall 1981): Ochrotomys nut- 

 talli nuttalli (Harlan) inhabits the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, and O. 

 n. aureolus (Audubon and Bachman) the Cumberland Plateau, Ridge 

 and Valley, and Blue Ridge provinces. 



Sigmodon hispidus Say and Ord, Hispid Cotton Rat. A statewide 

 species that is very abundant in open fields and along roadsides. Two 

 subspecies are recognized in Georgia (Hall 1981): Sigmodon hispidus 

 hispidus Say and Ord occurs in the extreme southeastern counties, and 

 S. h. komareki Gardner throughout the remainder of the state. 



Neotoma floridana (Ord), Eastern Woodrat. Although widely dis- 

 tributed almost statewide, and fairly common throughout a variety of 

 woodland habitats, there are o records from the Piedmont Plateau. 

 Three subspecies are recognized in Georgia (Wiley 1980): Neotoma flor- 

 idana floridana (Ord) occurs in the Coastal Plain; N. f haemotoreia 



