The Nayarit mouse or Sinaloan deer mouse (''Peromyscus simulus'') is a species of cricetid rodent endemic to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. It was considered a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of brush mouse until 1977.

Description

The Nayarit mouse is the smallest mouse within the ''P. boylii''

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

, with a head and body length of about , and a tail measuring about the same again. They typically also have a shorter snout than other members of the species group. They have tawny fur, with creamy-white underparts and a poorly-defined stripe of darker, almost black, fur down the middle of the back. The limbs are dusky to sooty, with white feet. The tail is hairy, usually darker above than below, and ends in a distinct tuft.

Distribution and habitat

The Nayarit mouse is found only along the Pacific coast of Mexico, from southern

Sinaloa Sinaloa (), officially the Estado Libre y Soberano de Sinaloa ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sinaloa), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is d ...

to central

Nayarit Nayarit (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Nayarit ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit), is one of the 31 states that, along with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its ...

. It inhabits forested terrain in coastal plains and river valleys below , including mangrove swamps, acacia thickets and thorn scrub. There are no recognised subspecies.

References

Peromyscus Mouse, Nayarit Mouse, Nayarit Mouse, Nayarit Natural history of Nayarit Natural history of Sinaloa Mammals described in 1904 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Peromyscus-stub