Main Menu

Class Mammalia
Order Rodentia
Family Cricetidae
Subfamily Neotominae
Genus Neotoma

rule

Neotoma stephensi Goldman 1905—Stephen's WoodratRegional Pleistocene distribution of Neotoma stephensi.

Regional Pleistocene distribution of Neotoma stephensiNeotoma stephensi occurs primarily in juniper woodland habitats in western New Mexico and to the west. It is strongly associated with juniper (Juniperus spp.) to the extent that middens normally can be identified as being of this species by the large amount of juniper in them.

Fig. 1. Current distribution of Neotoma stephensi. Map adapted from Jones and Hildreth (1989).

Schultz and Howard (1935) listed Neotoma lepida from Burnet Cave. There has been some confusion about the status of N. stephensi versus N. lepida (Hoffmeister and de la Torre 1960). Most likely, Schultz and Howard meant the taxon now known as N. stephensi. A second problem, however, is that S. stephensi does not come close to occurring east of the Rio Grande, has not been identified from the extensive fossil faunas of the Guadalupe Mountains area, and is fairly easily confused with N. mexicana. Thus likely the Burnet Cave record is in error; it is indicated in blue on the distribution map.

Sites.

Mid/Late Wisconsin: Screaming Neotoma Cave (Glennon 1994); U-Bar Cave (Harris 1987).

Late Wisconsin: Rampart Cave (Van Devender et al. 1977); U-Bar Cave 13-14 ka (Harris 1989); U-Bar Cave 14-15 ka (Harris 1989); U-Bar Cave 15-18 ka (Harris 1989); U-Bar 18-20 ka (Harris 1989): Vulture Canyon (Van Devender et al. 1977: cf.).

Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Burnet Cave (Schultz and Howard 1935: cf. [tentatively rejected:ahh]); Kokoweef Cave (Reynolds, Reynolds, et al. 1991).

Literature. Glennon 1994; Harris 1987, 1989; Hoffmeister and de la Torre 1960; Jones and Hildreth 1989; Schultz and Howard 1935; Reynolds, Reynolds, et al. 1991; Van Devender et al. 1977.

rule

Last Update: 27 May 2014