Main Menu

Class Mammalia
Order Rodentia
Family Cricetidae
Subfamily Neotominae
Genus Neotoma

rule

Neotoma floridana Ord 1818—Eastern WoodratRegional Pleistocene distribution of Neotoma floridana.

Modern distribution of Neotoma floridanaCurrently, N. floridana occurs mostly to the east of our region, though an arm reaches west into east-central Colorado (Fig. 1). Wiley (1980) noted that although most of its range is in eastern deciduous forest, it also extends into the Great Plains and, in eastern Colorado, lives with scanty rainfall and vegetation. Wiley also noted that this species is different from all other species that have adjacent ranges in having the anterior palatal spine forked (Fig. 2).

Fig. 1. Western modern distribution of N. floridana. Map adapted from Wiley (1980).


Fossil Neotoma floridana specimen showing the forked anterior palatine spine.

Fig. 2. Fossil specimen of N. floridana (UTEP 23-79) from Stalag 17 showing the forked anterior palatine spine. Scale in mm.

Sites.

Mid/Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Jimenez Cave (Messing 1986: cf.).

Late Wisconsin: Algerita Blossom Cave (Harris 1993c); Rick's Cenote (Harris 1984b: cf.); Stalag 17 (Harris 1984b); TT II (Harris 1984b: cf.); U-Bar Cave 14-15 (Harris 1989: cf.); U-Bar Cave 15-18 (Harris 1989: cf.); U-Bar Cave 18-20 (Harris 1989: cf.).

Literature. Harris 1984b, 1989, 1993c; Messing 1986; Wiley 1980.

rule

Last Update: 25 Oct 2013