Zapus

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

Zapus is a genus of North American jumping mice. It is the only genus whose members have the dental (tooth) formula:

Dentition
1.0.1.3
1.0.0.3

Zapus are the only extant mammals with a total of 18 teeth.[1]

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:

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

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.
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