Zapus

Zapus is a genus of North American jumping mouse. It is the only genus whose members have the dental formula 1.0.1.31.0.0.3. Zapus are the only extant mammals aside from the Aye-aye with a total of 18 teeth.[1]

Zapus
Temporal range: Early Pliocene to Recent
Zapus hudsonius preblei
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dipodidae
Subfamily: Zapodinae
Genus: Zapus
Coues, 1875
Species

Zapus hudsonius
Zapus princeps
Zapus trinotatus

This genus was first separated from Old World jerboas by Coues in 1875. Members of this genus are very similar in appearance, all species having long tails, long hind feet and yellowish-brown pelage above and white below, the colors distinctly separated by a yellowish-orange lateral line.

Taxonomy

The genus contains three extant species:

  • Meadow jumping mouse, Zapus hudsonius
    • Zapus hudsonius acadicus
    • Zapus hudsonius adamsi
    • Zapus hudsonius alascensis
    • Zapus hudsonius americanus
    • Zapus hudsonius campestris
    • Zapus hudsonius canadensis
    • Zapus hudsonius hudsonius
    • Zapus hudsonius preblei
    • Zapus hudsonius transitionalis
  • Western jumping mouse, Zapus princeps
    • Zapus princeps chysogenys
    • Zapus princeps cinereus
    • Zapus princeps curtatus
    • Zapus princeps idahoensis
    • Zapus princeps kootenayensis
    • Zapus princeps minor
    • Zapus princeps oregonus
    • Zapus princeps pacificus
    • Zapus princeps princeps
    • Zapus princeps saltator
    • Zapus princeps utahensis
  • Pacific jumping mouse, Zapus trinotatus
    • Zapus trinotatus eureka
    • Zapus trinotatus montanus
    • Zapus trinotatus orarius (Pt. Reyes Jumping Mouse?)
    • Zapus trinotatus trinotatus

A number of fossil species are also known, with the oldest being Zapus rinkeri from the Blancan of Kansas.[2]

The Linux distribution Ubuntu named its version 17.04 after the small creature, giving it the codename Zesty Zapus.[3]

References
  1. Schwartz, C. W., E. R. Schwartz. 2001. The wild mammals of Missouri. University of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri, USA. pp. 262–267
  2. Hart, E.B.; et al. (2004). "Zapus princeps". Mammalian Species: Number 749: pp. 1–7. doi:10.1644/749.
  3. Shuttleworth, Mark. "The mouse that jumped". Mark Shuttleworth. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  • Allen, J. A. 1900. The North-American Jumping Mice. The American Naturalist, 34:399, pp. 199–202.
  • Smithsonian. 1993. Mammal Species of the World. Accessed 3 April 2007.
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